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Pan Am
An Almost Human Fan Site
Passion, jealousy and espionage... They do it all – and they do it at 30,000 feet
Cancelled by ABC
Last updated: November 2, 2024 / Open Since: July 16, 2011 / Email Us: Here / Free Email

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Air Date- Oct 23, 2011: 'One Coin in a Fountain'
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(All listings subject to change) (Pan Am Episodes In Red)
  • Nov 7- CBS Mornings (Christina Ricci)
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    Pan Am TV Show

    Sosie Bacon, Amanda Righetti & Janet Montgomery Among 5 Added To Prime Video’s ‘Scarpetta’

    (9/26/24) Sosie Bacon (Smile, Mare of Easttown), Amanda Righetti (Reagan, The Mentalist), Janet Montgomery (1923, New Amsterdam), Stephanie Faracy (Nobody Wants This, Uncoupled) and Mike Vogel (Sex/Life) have joined the recurring cast of Prime Video‘s Scarpetta.

    They join the previously announced Nicole Kidman and Jamie Lee Curtis, who will both also executive produce; Bobby Cannavale, Simon Baker, Rosy McEwen, Jake Cannavale and Ariana DeBose.

    Based on Patricia Cornwell’s best-selling book series, Scarpetta follows Kay Scarpetta (Kidman), Chief Medical Examiner, as she returns to Virginia and resumes her former position with complex relationships, both personal and professional – including her sister Dorothy (Curtis), with plenty of grudges and secrets to uncover.

    Bacon plays Abby Turnball, a prize-winning reporter; Righetti plays Past Dorothy; Montgomery plays Janet, Lucy’s wife; Faracy plays Present Maggie, Scarpetta’s inherited assistant from her predecessor; Vogel plays city attorney Bill Boltz.

    The series was officially picked up for two seasons earlier this month with Deadline exclusively revealing the project was in the works in early 2023.

    Liz Sarnoff (Barry, Lost) will write, executive produce, and showrun. David Gordon Green (Halloween, Stronger) is set to direct the first two episodes.

    Kidman will executive produce for Blossom Films, and Curtis will executive produce for Comet Pictures. Cornwell will executive produce for P & S Projects alongside Jason Blum, Jeremy Gold, Chris Dickie, and Chris McCumber for Blumhouse Television and Per Saari for Blossom Films. David Gordon Green and Amy Sayres also serve as executive producers. The series is produced by Blumhouse Television and Amazon MGM Studios in association with Blossom Films and Comet Pictures.

    Bacon was last seen in the box office hit Smile, for Paramount and Temple Hill. On the TV side, she notably starred in Jason Katims’ series As We See It for Amazon and had a major role opposite Kate Winslet in HBO’s hit miniseries, Mare of Easttown. She recurred in the second season of Narcos: Mexico on Netflix and previously starred as the lead in HBO’s Here and Now, created by Alan Ball, opposite Holly Hunter and Tim Robbins. On the big screen, she can be seen in Mary Harron’s Charlie Says, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival. Bacon is repped by Gersh, Range and Schreck, Rose, Dapello, Adams, Berlin, & Dunham.

    Righetti’s breakout role was as the trust-fund squandering, world-traveling black sheep, “Hailey Nichol,” on The O.C. which she followed up with the lead role of “Tessa Lewis” in 2004's North Shore and the drama series Reunion as “Jenna Moretti,” all of which hail from FOX. She led Michael Bay’s remake, Friday the 13th, while filming her series, The Mentalist for CBS. Other film credits include Captain America: The First Avenger and Role Models. Most recently, Righetti starred in Reagan opposite Dennis Quaid and Jon Voight. She is repped by Buchwald and Atlas Artists.

    Montgomery is currently filming 1923 for creator Taylor Sheridan. She most recently finished filming Jonathan Baker’s upcoming film Fate, where she stars alongside Faye Dunaway as the younger version of the same character, ‘Tilly.’ She most recently starred in the Paramount+ series, The Ex-Wife and NBC’s New Amsterdam and Quantum Leap. Her previous TV credits include NBC’s This Is Us, WGN America’s Salem, Netflix’s Black Mirror, HBO’s Entourage and PBS’ Downton Abbey; and on the big screen, Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan and Our Idiot Brother. She is repped by CAA, Hamilton Hodell and Untitled Entertainment.

    Faracy currently stars as Kristin Bell’s mother in the Netflix comedy Nobody Wants This following her work in Uncoupled also for the streamer. She made her debut in the Warren Beatty film Heaven Can Wait. Additional credits include Hocus Pocus, Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates, the multi-award-winning HBO film Temple Grandin, Bad Teacher and The Five-Year Engagement. TV credits include ABC’s Modern Family, NBC’s Frasier, NBC’s Will and Grace, as well as Ugly Betty and Grey’s Anatomy for ABC. She is repped by SDB Partners.

    Vogel most recently starred in the second season of Netflix’s series Sex/Life opposite Sarah Shahi, as well as the independent film Collection for director Marianna Palka, and Netflix’s thriller Secret Obsession. Other recent works include American Horror Story for FX and Fantasy Island for Columbia Pictures. He is repped by Gersh and Manager Geordie Frey.

    Margot Robbie And Jacob Elordi To Star In Emerald Fennell’s Adaptation Of ‘Wuthering Heights’ From MRC And LuckyChap

    (9/23/24) In what is gearing up to be an A-list pairing for Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights movie, MRC is tapping Oscar-nominated actress and producer Margot Robbie and BAFTA-nominated actor Jacob Elordi to star in the adaptation of the classic novel. MRC is also setting LuckyChap to produce Fennell’s upcoming feature film adaptation, Wuthering Heights, based on the iconic romance novel by Emily Brontë. Besides being the studio on the project, MRC will also finance the pic.

    This marks LuckyChap and Fennell’s third collaboration together, having also produced her most recent pic Saltburn and Promising Young Woman, which won Fennell an Oscar for original screenplay.

    Robbie is set to star as Catherine Earnshaw, and Elordi will play Heathcliff. Fennell is set to write, direct and produce. The film is in pre-production gearing up for a UK shoot in 2025.

    The original novel by Brontë is considered by many to be one of the great pieces of literature when it was published in 1850. The original story follows two families, the Earnshaws and the Lintons and the turbulent relationship they have with the Lintons foster son, Heathcliff.

    Plot details on Fennell’s adaptation are unknown at this time.

    Following breakout directing debut with Promising Young Woman, Fennell has turned into one those multi-hyphenates where anytime her project is announced, the industry is buzzing. So when she broke the news on her social media that Wuthering Heights would be that next project, everyone was curious at who could play the two iconic characters and now the town has that answer with two of biggest stars.

    Robbie was last seen starring and producing Barbie, which not only went on to become the biggest film of 2023 grossing $1.4 billion at the box-office but also earning eight Oscar nominations with Robbie earning a producing nod for Best Picture. She will next be seen starring in Kogonada’s A Big Bold Beautiful Journey releasing May 2025.

    Wuthering Heights reunites Elordi and Fennell, with actor recently starring in her most recent pic Saltburn. As for what is up next for Elordi, he is set to star in The Narrow Road to the Deep North directed by Justin Kurzell. He will also star in Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein. Most recently he played the iconic Elvis Presley in Priscilla directed by Sofia Coppola.

    MRC is the leading independent entertainment studio behind some of the world’s most iconic, award-winning, and prestigious films, television series, and documentaries. Last year, MRC was the studio behind Saltburn, American Fiction, and Fair Play, and is known for hit TV series such as Poker Face, Terminal List, Ted, Ozark and House of Cards.

    LuckyChap is a leading entertainment company that produced the global phenomenon Barbie, which grossed over $1.4 billion at the box office and garnered eight Academy Award nominations. They also produced the critically acclaimed and award winning films I, Tonya, Promising Young Woman, and Saltburn and on the television side, they produced the hit limited series Maid and the comedy Dollface. LuckyChap’s most recent film, My Old Ass, is in theatres now and was acquired by Amazon/MGM after rave reviews at Sundance. LuckyChap is currently producing the off Broadway play The Big Gay Jamboree, which marks their first foray into theatre.

    Robbie is represented by Entertainment 360, CAA, Aran Michael Management, Attorney Jeff Bernstein. Elordi is represented by Gersh and Goodman, Genow, Schenkman, Smelkinson & Christopher. Fennell is represented by UTA and Entertainment 360.

    Trailer for the documentary film Child Star

    (9/5/24) (Video) Hulu has released a trailer for the documentary film Child Star, in which co-director Demi Lovato interviews iconic former child stars such as Drew Barrymore, Kenan Thompson, Christina Ricci, Raven-Symoné, JoJo Siwa, Alyson Stoner and more. It premieres Tuesday, Sept. 17.

    Sony Taking ‘A Big Bold Beautiful Journey’ With Margot Robbie & Colin Farrell Over Mother’s Day Weekend 2025

    (8/15/24) On the heels of its box office triumph, It Ends With Us, Sony Pictures has dated their next female event movie with Oscar Margot Robbie in her post-Barbie splash, A Big Bold Beautiful Journey, on May 9, 2025.

    Also starring Colin Farrell, the pic comes from Imperative Entertainment and 30West and is billed as an original tale of two strangers and the extraordinary emotional journey that connects them.

    A Big Bold Beautiful Journey is from acclaimed filmmaker Kogonada and was written by Seth Reiss. Movie is produced by Dan Friedkin, Bradley Thomas, Ryan Friedkin, Seth Reiss and Youree Henley. EPs are Kogonada, Ilene Feldman and Ori Eisen.

    Lily Rabe, Jodie Turner-Smith, Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Hamish Linklater also star.

    Robbie’s Barbie is the highest grossing movie in Warner Bros. history at $1.44 billion.

    It Ends With Us, based on the Colleen Hoover bestseller and starring Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, directed by the later, outstripped all projections and debuted to $50M, a surprise hit for a romance drama at the box office, a genre which has been sidelined by streaming. The pic’s running total through yesterday is $68.9M and will clearly cross $100M in the coming days. Pic is estimated to gross around $22M in its second weekend.

    Renée Ballard Series Adds Michael Mosley, Rebecca Field, Victoria Moroles & Amy Hill

    (8/13/24) The new Bosch spinoff series centering on Renée Ballard has cast four series regulars joining Maggie Q, Courtney Taylor and John Carroll Lynch: Michael Mosley (Ozark), Rebecca Field (A Star is Born), Victoria Moroles (Teen Wolf) and Amy Hill (Magnum P.I.).

    The untitled series follows Detective Renée Ballard (Q), who is tasked with running the LAPD’s new cold case division — a poorly funded, all-volunteer unit with the largest caseload in the city. Ballard approaches these frozen-in-time cases with empathy and determination. When she uncovers a larger conspiracy during her investigations, she’ll lean on the assistance of her retired ally, Harry Bosch, to navigate the dangers that threaten both her unit and her life.

    Mosley will play Ted Rawls, a reserve officer who has reluctantly been assigned to cold cases to keep an eye on Ballard. Field will play Colleen Hatteras, an enthusiastic and eccentric volunteer who believes her “intuitions” could help solve cases. Moroles will play Martina Castro, a sharp legal intern eager to prove her worth to the department. Hill will play Tutu, Ballard’s spunky grandma and biggest source of support.

    Ballard will first be introduced in the Season 3 finale of another Bosch spinoff, Bosch: Legacy, before headlining her series.

    Jet Wilkinson serves as executive producer on the Renée Ballard offshoot alongside Michael Connelly, Trish Hofmann, Michael Alaimo and Kendall Sherwood. Henrik Bastin and Melissa Aouate executive produce for Fabel Entertainment with Jasmine Russ serving as co-executive producer. Additional co-executive producers include Jamie Boscardin Martin and Trey Batchelor, with Theresa Snider co-executive producing under Hieronymus Pictures.

    Mosley is represented by Gersh and Hansen Jacobson. Field is represented by Greene Talent and Trademark Talent. Moroles is represented by CESD and Vision Entertainment. Hill is represented by SMS Talent, Inc.

    Christina Ricci Sells L.A.-Area Home for $2.2 Million

    (8/10/24) Christina Ricci's walking away from her home sale with exactly what she wanted ... taking millions with her to a new pad, as she got every dollar of her original listing price.
  • Our real estate sources say Christina sold her home in the L.A. suburb of Woodland Hills for $2.249 million, the exact price she asked when she put it on the market back in June.

    Ricci's house was only on the market for 50 days -- not every celeb is that lucky -- before someone snatched up the 4-bedroom, 4-bathroom home in the popular neighborhood.

    The 2,718-square-foot home boasts a modern kitchen, massive dining room and beautiful living room ... with a backyard featuring a lush garden and swimming pool.

    CR bought the pad back in 2018 for $1.1 million ... but, she put some cash into renovating the place with all the newest fixings -- a process fans got to see on Season 2 of Jeff Lewis' "Hollywood Houselift."

    She got the house in her divorce from James Heerdegen when they split in 2021 after seven years of marriage. Now, it seems like she and her new husband Mark Hampton are ready to move on.

    "Shahs of Sunset" alum Mercedeh Javid of The Agency held the listing.

    Child Star Documentary sets Debut

    (7/31/24) Child Star, a new documentary about the highs and lows of growing up in the spotlight, will premiere Tuesday, Sept. 17 on Hulu. Directed by Demi Lovato, the doc includes interviews with Drew Barrymore, Raven-Symoné, Christina Ricci, JoJo Siwa, Kenan Thompson and more.

    Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Award Winner

    (7/13/24) FAVORITE MOVIE ACTRESS: Margot Robbie (Barbie, Barbie)

    Margot Robbie is pregnant, expecting first baby with husband Tom Ackerley: report

    (7/7/24) Congratulations are in order for Margot Robbie.

    The “Barbie” star is expecting her first child with her husband, Tom Ackerley, sources told People Sunday.

    Robbie debuted her baby bump in a white crop top earlier in the day while taking a boat ride in Lake Como, Italy, with the movie producer, as seen in photos obtained by the Daily Mail.

    The “Suicide Squad” star paired the maternity look with an oversize blazer and low-rise black pants, accessorizing with a cream purse and gold earrings.

    Ackerley, who wore a beige button-down shirt and brown slacks, lovingly assisted his pregnant wife onto the vessel.

    Reps for the couple weren’t immediately available to Page Six for comment.

    Robbie and Ackerley, both 34, tied the knot in December 2016 during an intimate ceremony in Byron Bay, Australia.

    At the time, the duo had been dating for about two years after meeting in 2013 on the set of the war drama “Suite Française.”

    The “Wolf of Wall Street” actress told Vogue in May 2016 that her relationship with “the best-looking guy in London” was unexpected.

    “I was the ultimate single gal. The idea of relationships made me want to vomit,” she said. “And then this crept up on me. We were friends for so long. I was always in love with him.”

    Robbie continued, “But I thought, ‘Oh, he would never love me back. Don’t make it weird, Margot. Don’t be stupid and tell him that you like him.’ And then it happened, and I was like, ‘Of course we’re together. This makes so much sense, the way nothing has ever made sense before.'”

    In 2014, the couple co-founded the production company LuckyChap Entertainment, which has created several movies, including “Barbie,” “I, Tonya” and “Birds of Prey,” all of which Robbie has starred in.

    While they are notoriously private about their relationship, Ackerley gave a glimpse into their lives together during an interview with the Times of London last month.

    He revealed they spend “24 hours a day” together and do not feel the need to separate business from pleasure.

    “It’s seamless,” he told the outlet. “We don’t have a toggle on, toggle off. It’s all become one thing.”

    Ackerley, who is from England, also revealed his biggest argument with the Australian beauty stems from “whether [Australia’s] Tim Tams or Penguins are better.”

    While Ackerley works behind the screen, he has been Robbie’s biggest supporter in public, often joining her on red carpets, including Variety’s Power of Women in Los Angeles, where he read her acceptance speech after she lost her voice last year.

    Ackerley also supported the actress at the 2023 Gotham Film Awards, where he sent her into giggles after appearing to pinch her butt in front of photographers.

    ‘Batman: Caped Crusader’ Reveals Voices Of The Dark Knight, Harley Quinn, Catwoman & More

    (6/20/24) Prime Video has found its Dark Knight. Hamish Linklater (Midnight Mass) has been tapped to voice Batman/Bruce Wayne in Batman: Caped Crusader, Prime Video’s upcoming series from Warner Bros. Animation, Bad Robot Productions and 6th & Idaho. Also cast are Christina Ricci (Yellowjackets) as Catwoman/Selina Kyle, Jamie Chung (Stone Cold Fox) as Harley Quinn/Dr. Harleen Quinzel, and Diedrich Bader (Harley Quinn) as Harvey Dent/Two-Face. The ensemble cast also includes Minnie Driver and Mckenna Grace.

    In the series, the corrupt outnumber the good as criminals run rampant and law-abiding citizens live in a constant state of fear in Gotham City. Forged in the fire of tragedy, wealthy socialite Bruce Wayne becomes something both more and less than human—the Batman. His one-man crusade for justice attracts unexpected allies within the GCPD and City Hall, but his heroic actions spawn deadly, unforeseen ramifications.

    The series comes from EPs J.J. Abrams, Matt Reeves and Bruce Timm. Based on DC characters, Along with Abrams, Reeves and Timm, Batman: Caped Crusader executive producers include Ed Brubaker, James Tucker, Daniel Pipski, Rachel Rusch Rich and Sam Register.

    See character descriptions below.

    Batman: A cold, remorseless avenger of evil, seemingly more machine than man. Forged in the fire of tragedy, every fiber of his being is dedicated to the eradication of crime.

    Bruce Wayne: To the public at large, Bruce Wayne is a shallow dilettante, apparently wasting his parents’ vast fortune on frivolous pursuits and hedonistic pleasures. In fact, he’s an elaborate facade, carefully constructed to divert attention from his activities as Batman.

    Selina Kyle/Catwoman: Selena Kyle is a blithe and pampered heiress whose family lost their fortune after her father was imprisoned for embezzlement. Despite having the silver spoon yanked from her mouth, Selina refuses to quit living in the lap of luxury and becomes Catwoman as a “fun” way to maintain her lavish lifestyle.

    Dr. Harleen Quinzel/Harley Quinn – Despite a personable and bubbly demeanor, Dr. Harleen Quinzel is a brilliant psychiatrist who treats some of Gotham’s elite. However, as Harley Quinn, she is a different person, entirely. A creepy, quiet, calculating menace who secretly dispenses her twisted justice to the truly despicable among her elite clientele.

    Harvey Dent/Two-Face: Talented, great-looking, and charismatic, D.A. Harvey Dent is also ruthlessly ambitious, arrogant, short-tempered and a dangerous person to cross. After a vengeful criminal disfigures half his face with acid, the two sides of his nature are separated… and exaggerated. The scarred half of his face comes to represent his compassion, sorrow and decency, while the handsome half now represents his rage and sense of entitlement.

    Batman: Caped Crusader premieres on Prime Video on August 1.

    Christina Ricci Selling L.A. Area Home for $2.2 Million

    (6/18/24) Christina Ricci is unloading her Los Angeles area home -- and she's aiming to double her earnings with the price tag.

    The actress listed her Woodland Hills, CA home Monday ... and if you have an extra couple million (and change) lying around, the property could be yours.

    CR is asking for a cool $2.249 million for the crib -- and despite the steep ask, Christina's residence is certainly worth the Benjamins ... it's got all the bells and whistles of luxury.

    Frankly, Christina's put quite a bit of TLC into this property ... working with celebrity interior designer Jeff Lewis to bring the home together for what you see now. The renovations were even featured on season 2 of Jeff's Amazon Freevee show, "Hollywood Houselift with Jeff Lewis."

    The home -- boasting 4 bedrooms, 4 baths and over 2,700 square feet of living space -- features an open floor plan ... which shows off the modern cook's kitchen, massive dining room and picturesque living room.

    The primary bathroom is a wallpaper enthusiast's dream, as it's decked out with a black and white floral pattern -- which lets the all white in the bathroom pop.

    As for the grounds ... they're equally impressive -- the backyard is a tranquil paradise thanks to a lush garden and large swimming pool.

    Like we said, Christina is looking to make a profit here ... she bought this place in 2018 for just $1.1 mil. CR walked away with the residence while finalizing her divorce from James Heerdegen -- to whom she was married to for almost 7 years before their split in 2020.

    Christina later married hairstylist Mark Hampton ... turning the Woodland Hills house into a family home for themselves and their daughter, Cleopatra -- who was born in December 2021. Christina also shares one son Freddie with her ex-husband.

    "Shahs of Sunset" alum Mercedes Javid of The Agency holds the listing.

    Christina Ricci & Hamish Linklater To Star In True Crime Series ‘Chop Shop’ Set Against Funeral Business In 1980s San Fernando Valley

    (6/13/24) Here’s a buzzy series coming together that should get the attention of networks.

    Christina Ricci, recent Golden Globe nominee for Yellowjackets, and Midnight Mass star Hamish Linklater are set to lead true crime series Chop Shop, which is set against the funeral business in 1980s San Fernando Valley.

    Inspired by the Kathy Braidhill book of the same name, the series will chart the chilling and twisted tale of the Lamb Funeral Home in 1980s Los Angeles. When David Sconce — the Machiavellian scion of a Bible college football coach and a church organist — takes the reins of the family business, the seemingly All-American clan begins a jaw-dropping descent from saints to sinners. Desperate to keep their funeral home afloat, Sconce engineers a sinister new business strategy, replete with human body harvesting and mass cremation. The script will paint a harrowing portrait of hubris against the neon greed of the era, where insatiable ambition turns a former football star into a SoCal sociopath.

    Linklater will play David Sconce and Ricci is attached to play a journalist inspired by Braidhill. Andy Bellin (Lovelace) is writing.

    Producers are Ricci, Laura Rister (The Tale, Ferrari) and Untitled Entertainment with the team currently exploring potential directors and showrunners to round out the package.

    Wednesday and Monster star Ricci is currently in production on the third season of Showtime’s hit series Yellowjackets, for which she has received Emmy and Golden Globe nominations. Linklater is in production on the second season of Amazon’s The Boys spinoff Gen V, and can be seen as Abraham Lincoln in the Apple TV + series Manhunt. His directorial debut Downton Owl, which he co-directed with Lily Rabe, was recently released via Sony Pictures.

    Bellin is best known for movies Lovelace, starring Amanda Seyfried and Peter Sarsgaard, and Trust with Clive Owen and Catherine Keener. Other active projects include The Baccarat Machine at SK Global starring Awkwafina, Think Aaron at HBO Films, and an untitled thriller starring Jared Leto at h.wood Media.

    Producers Laura Rister and Untitled’s Michael Rosenberg said of the project: “Upon reading Braidhill’s book Chop Shop, we were fascinated to discover this shocking Los Angeles story that truly is stranger than fiction. Christina and Hamish naturally gravitate to complex, brave material and roles. We feel so fortunate to capture their combined magic in one show. We also look forward to collaborating again with Andy Bellin, who shares a deep curiosity for intricate human stories.”

    Ricci is represented by Untitled Entertainment, CAA and Afifi Law. Linklater is repped by Untitled Entertainment and CAA. Bellin is represented by WME and The Gotham Group.

    2024 Kids’ Choice Awards Nominees

    (6/4/24) Hosted by SpongeBob SquarePants (voiced by Tom Kenny) and Patrick Star (voiced by Bill Fagerbakke), Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards 2024 will premiere live from their undersea home of Bikini Bottom on Saturday, July 13, at 8 p.m. (ET/PT). The awards also will simulcast across Nickelodeon, TeenNick, Nicktoons, the Nick Jr. channel, TVLand, CMT and MTV2.

    FAVORITE MOVIE ACTRESS
    America Ferrera (Gloria, Barbie)
    Brie Larson (Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel, The Marvels)
    Halle Bailey (Ariel, The Little Mermaid)*
    Jennifer Garner (Jess, The Family Switch)
    Margot Robbie (Barbie, Barbie)*
    Melissa McCarthy (Ursula, The Little Mermaid)
    Zendaya (Chani, Dune: Part Two)
    Zoe Saldana (Gamora, Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol 3).

    ‘Pirates Of The Caribbean’ Reboot, Plus A Spinoff With Margot Robbie Both Still In The Works, Says Jerry Bruckheimer

    (5/20/24) There have been hot and cold reports about the future of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise over the past few years. Some had a reboot happening with an entirely new cast, others a female-centric film with Margot Robbie. Now, Jerry Bruckheimer is setting the record straight.

    “It’s two different movies,” Bruckheimer says. The reboot has Jeff Nathanson doing the script with the Robbie-centric film being written by Christina Hodson, according to Entertainment Weekly, which caught up with the producer. “We hope to get ’em both made, and I think Disney agrees they really want to make the Margot one, too.”

    The Last of Us creator Craig Mazin worked on a story for the reboot with original screenwriter Ted Elliot. Mazin told the L.A. Times that their script was very weird and that Disney seemed to like it. But the project stalled because of the strikes last year.

    Now, it seems, Nathanson is working on the script, and Bruckheimer likes what he sees, at least the ending.

    “I think he’s cracked it,” said the producer. “He’s got an amazing third act. We just gotta clean up the first and second and then we’ll get there. But he wrote a great, great third act.”

    As for the Robbie project, the actress told Vanity Fair in 2022, “We had an idea and we were developing it for a while, ages ago, to have more of a female-led — not totally female-led, but just a different kind of story — which we thought would’ve been really cool, but I guess they don’t want to do it.”

    Not so, says Bruckheimer, though he did not provide the same level of detail for the spinoff starring the Barbie actress.

    As for the involvement of the franchise’s biggest name in the reboot, Bruckheimer indicated that film would feature new actors. He did not close the door on the idea.

    “It’s a reboot, but if it was up to me, he would be in it,” said the producer of Johnny Depp. “I love him. He’s a good friend. He’s an amazing artist and he’s a unique look. He created Captain Jack.”

    ‘Avengelyne’ Package To Warner Bros With Margot Robbie, Olivia Wilde, Simon Kinberg; ‘Poor Things’ Tony McNamara To Adapt ‘Deadpool’ Creator Rob Liefeld Comic Book

    (4/20/24) Warner Bros is negotiating to close a seven-figure film-rights deal for Avengelyne — Deadpool creator Rob Liefeld’s signature comic book creation about an angel who fights the forces of evil.

    Most of the deals are closed. Deadline hears Margot Robbie is eyeing to star as the title character (subject to script), Olivia Wilde will direct, and Poor Things scribe Tony McNamara will write the screenplay. Aboard to produce is LuckyChap, the shingle Robbie runs with Tom Ackerley and Josey McNamara, and Simon Kinberg and Audrey Chon through their Genre banner.

    This one came to Warner Bros, and the studio pre-empted it. It is the second big deal for the studio in a week. Warner Bros has closed a 7-figure deal to secure a rights package for a movie about Chris Farley that Paul Walter Hauser will star in, with Josh Gad directing. The Avengelyne deal is even bigger.

    LuckyChap is coming off Barbie, last year’s top-grossing film with eight Oscar nominations. Wilde last directed Don’t Worry Darling and before that Booksmart.

    Deadline revealed this as a hot project April 4.

    Avengelyne is an angel who fights the forces of evil and often finds herself face-to-face with demons and monsters. She was the most feared warrior in heaven’s Warhost, having single-handedly broken into Pandemonium, the outer fortress of hell, to confront the devil himself. She is a fallen angel, banished from heaven by God after being tricked into questioning his love for humans. Avengelyne was stripped of all her angelic abilities, other than her great strength and her blood, which, once extracted from her body, could be used as a weapon or a miracle, when it is empowered by quoting verses from the Bible. Avengelyne uses her powers to fight demons on Earth and is being groomed to be humankind’s last hope in a coming Armageddon.

    Kinberg has produced the Deadpool films that came from Liefeld’s comics, and that led to the conversation on Avengelyne, which Kinberg brought to Robbie. They brought in Wilde and McNamara; between Deadpool, Barbie, Poor Things and Booksmart, there is an edgy sensibility they hope to capture here. Warner Bros production heads Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy sparked to a title that De Luca actually optioned when he ran production at New Line years ago. Liefeld’s stock is high, as Deadpool & Wolverine looks to be the summer’s big film. Kinberg is exec producer on that one.

    In the past, Liefeld has explained his heroine this way: “Avengelyne resonated so powerfully with the audience because her story of redemption is one that is so relatable. A fallen angel, sentenced to redeem herself by serving humanity, Earth is a foreign environment to her, she must adapt in order to save herself as well as mankind. Her dilemma provides humor amidst the larger plot engine driving her journey.”

    Verve, CAA and UTA handled the auction. Robbie is repped by CAA, Aran Michael Management and Entertainment 360; Wilde is with CAA, Untitled and Hamilton Hodell; McNamara is with UTA, Sugar23 and HLA Management; and Liefeld is repped by Verve.

    ‘The Savant’ Apple Series Rounds Out Cast With 8, Including Jordana Spiro, Michael Mosley, Dagmara Dominczyk

    (4/3/24) Apple TV+ has rounded out the cast for Jessica Chastain-led The Savant, its eight-episode limited series from writer/executive producer/showrunner Melissa James Gibson, Fifth Season and Anonymous Content.

    Jordana Spiro (Ozark), Trinity Lee Shirley (Da Bottomz), newcomer Toussaint Francois Battiste (Waiting for Godot), Cole Doman (Mutt), Hannah Gross (The Adults), David Wilson Barnes (George & Tammy), Michael Mosley (The Sinner) and Dagmara Dominczyk (Succession) join previously announced Chastain, Nnamdi Asomugha and James Badge Dale, who recurs.

    Chastain, who also executive produces, plays a top-secret investigator known as the Savant, who infiltrates online hate groups to take down the most violent men in the country. Asomugha plays her husband.

    Inspired by a true story published by Cosmopolitan, the storyline and additional character details are being kept under wraps.

    Chastain and Kelly Carmichael exec produce through her Freckle Films banner. James Gibson exec produces, with Matthew Heineman directing and exec producing. Jessica Giles, editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan, executive produces, and Brian Madden, SVP Development for Hearst Magazines, produces. Stanley serves as consultant.

    Spiro is repped by Principal Entertainment and Wolf Kasteler; Shirley by Domina Holbeck and Sloane Fitzgerald at CESD and Christine McLain at McLain Entertainment; Battiste by Innovative Artists; Doman Innovative Artists and Sweeney Entertainment; Gross is repped by Gersh and Untitled Entertainment; Barnes by Innovative Artists; Mosley by Gersh and Hansen Jacobson; Dominczyk by Innovative Artists and Industry Entertainment.

    People’s Choice Awards Winner

    (2/18/24) THE FEMALE MOVIE STAR OF 2023: Margot Robbie, Barbie

    Margot Robbie & Colin Farrell’s Next Movie ‘A Big Bold Beautiful Journey’ Sells Worldwide To Sony

    (2/17/24) The EFM market has lift off! In the first major worldwide pact done on the ground here in Berlin, Sony Pictures has tied up a deal in the $50M range for Margot Robbie (Barbie) and Colin Farrell (The Batman) package A Big Bold Beautiful Journey, which is one of the market’s hottest scripts.

    Plot details are under wraps, but the romantic fantasy from director Kogonada (After Yang) is being described as “an imaginative tale of two strangers and the unbelievable journey that connects them”. The film is due to shoot this spring in California.

    Oscar nominee Robbie is red-hot coming off box office smash Barbie, which she starred in and also produced through her LuckyChap banner. The film is up for eight Oscars including Best Picture. She had her pick of scripts to choose from following the movie’s massive success and in recent weeks landed on Big Bold Beautiful Journey as her next film.

    Killers of the Flower Moon outfit Imperative Entertainment is producing. 30West is financing. Pachinko and After Yang director Kogonada will helm from an original script by The Menu scribe Seth Reiss.

    Deal just closed with financier-producer 30West and CAA Media Finance. We understand there is a wide theatrical commitment.

    Tom Rothman, Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures’ Motion Picture Group just told us: “Every once in a great while in this job you read a script so special and original, that you fly to the last page, inspired and uplifted. A Big Bold Beautiful Journey, by Seth Reiss, is such a script and together with the superb director Kogonada, the perfect cast of Colin and Margot, and top flight producers Bradley Thomas, Dan Friedkin, and Ryan Friedkin, it is a project from heaven. We believe the audience is desperate for originality and we feel honored and grateful to all involved to have won out for it."

    “We are thrilled to partner again with our good friend, Tom Rothman, and the great team at Sony. We are big believers in the theatrical experience, which is Sony’s specialty, and we’re excited Kogonada’s creation will be enjoyed on the big screen,” added Imperative Entertainment.

    Sony Pictures’ Joe Matukewicz, President, Worldwide Acquisitions and his team Virginia Longmuir, EVP, Business Affairs, Katie Anderson, VP, Worldwide Acquisitions, Elan Kovo, VP Business Development brought the package to the studio and made the deal in Berlin.

    Many of the independent buyers wanted this one but the studios came in strong with bidding across multiple days. In the end it came down to Sony and a couple others, with Tom Rothman’s studio winning out. There are a slew of buzzy packages with A-list talent at the EFM this year, but deal-making is being slightly held up by some U.S. studio bosses and acquisitions chiefs having stayed back in the U.S. The lack of studio movies in the festival lineup hasn’t helped in getting them over into the European time zone, especially when there’s a U.S. holiday on Monday. But this is the first major pact to get over the line and the hope is that it’s a catalyst for healthy deal-making across a stellar crop of pre-sales titles. A lot of the big projects are understood to have offers on them.

    As for Farrell and Kogonada, the film marks a reunion after they worked together on the drama After Yang, which premiered at last year’s Sundance Film Festival. Oscar nominee Farrell (The Banshees of Inisherin) is currently in production on HBO Max’s anticipated series The Penguin, in which he reprises his role from WB and DC’s The Batman. He will soon be seen in the private-eye drama series Sugar, which premieres April 5 on Apple TV+.

    Imperative Entertainment’s Dan Friedkin, Bradley Thomas and Ryan Friedkin will produce A Big Bold Beautiful Journey, along with Reiss and Youree Henley. Executive producers include Kogonada, Ilene Feldman and Original Films’ Ori Eisen. 30West is financing. Neon was handling international sales.

    Australia’s AACTA Award Winners

    (2/10/24) Trailblazer Award: Margot Robbie

    Favourite Actress: Margot Robbie

    International Award for Best Lead Actress in Film: Margot Robbie – Barbie

    Margot Robbie & Colin Farrell To Star In ‘A Big Bold Beautiful Journey’ For Imperative Entertainment And ‘After Yang’ Director Kogonada

    (2/7/24) Academy Award nominees Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell are attached to star in A Big Bold Beautiful Journey, with Imperative Entertainment producing. Pachinko and After Yang director Kogonada will helm the pic from an original script by The Menu scribe Seth Reiss. 30West is financing the film.

    Imperative Entertainment’s Dan Friedkin, Bradley Thomas and Ryan Friedkin will produce the feature, along with Reiss and Youree Henley. Executive producers include Kogonada, Ilene Feldman and Original Films’ Ori Eisen.

    Plot details are under wraps, but A Big Bold Beautiful Journey is described as an imaginative tale of two strangers and the unbelievable journey that connects them. The film will shoot this spring in California. CAA Media Finance and 30West represent the film’s worldwide distribution rights.

    Robbie is having as good a year as any movie star in Hollywood after her smash hit Barbie, which she starred in and also produced through her LuckyChap banner, broke numerous records en route to $1.4 billion at the global box office. The film recently landed eight Oscar nominations including one Best Picture. Robbie had her pick of scripts to choose from following massive success of Barbie and recent weeks had landed on Big Bold Beautiful Journey as her next film.

    As for Farrell and Kogonada, this film marks a reunion for the two after working together on the drama After Yang, which premiered at last year’s Sundance Film Festival. Next up for Farrell is the private-eye drama series Sugar, which premieres April 5 on Apple TV+.

    Robbie is repped by CAA, Entertainment 360 and attorney Jeff Bernstein and Aran Michael Management. Farrell is repped by CAA, managers Ilene Feldman and Claudine Farrell and attorney Steve Warren. Kogonada is repped by WME, Ilene Feldman Management and attorneys Daniel Passman and Tara Kole.

    Imperative Entertainment most recently was behind the 10-time Oscar-nominated epic film Killers of the Flower Moon, which the company developed and produced over seven years; the Emmy-nominated limited series Black Bird; and the Palme d’Or-winning film Triangle of Sadness. Upcoming projects include Apple’s drama series Moth to Flame, starring Taron Egerton, and feature film The Wager, which will be directed by Martin Scorsese and star Leonardo DiCaprio.

    Winners At the 2024 Saturn Awards

    (2/5/24) 51st Saturn Awards honor the best in genre entertainment

    BEST ACTRESS IN A FILM: Margot Robbie (Barbie)

    Margot Robbie Responds To Fan Fury Over ‘Barbie’ Oscar Nominations: “We Set Out To Shift Culture”

    (1/31/24) “There’s no way to feel sad when you know you’re this blessed,” Margot Robbie said during a panel at a special SAG screening on Tuesday night.

    Robbie, who both produced and starred in Barbie, was responding to the missed Oscar nominations for director Greta Gerwig and herself in the Lead Actress category—a situation that has sparked much online discourse and disappointment for Barbie fans.

    “Obviously I think Greta should be nominated as a director, because what she did is a once-in-a-career, once-in-a-lifetime thing, what she pulled off, it really is,” Robbie said. “But it’s been an incredible year for all the films.”

    Barbie is the only billion-dollar film solely directed by a woman, and it outstripped all other films at the box office last year, bringing home $1.4 billion worldwide. As Robbie said, the reaction to the film has become a kind of cultural phenomenon: “I just suspect it’s bigger than us. It’s bigger than this movie, it’s bigger than our industry.”

    Robbie also clearly pointed out that she is “beyond ecstatic that we’ve got eight Academy Award nominations, it’s so wild.” Those nominations include Best Picture, Supporting Actress for America Ferrera; Supporting Actor for Ryan Gosling, Costume Design, Production Design and Best Adapted Screenplay for Gerwig and Noah Baumbach. “Everyone getting the nods that they’ve had is just incredible, and the Best Picture nod,” Robbie said.

    “We set out to do something that would shift culture, affect culture, just make some sort of impact,” Robbie said. “And it’s already done that, and some, way more than we ever dreamed it would. And that is truly the biggest reward that could come out of all of this.”

    Robbie had the SAG screening audience laughing as she described listening in movie theater bathrooms for audience reactions and then being in a pub in Scotland overhearing a group of men on a bachelor party trip discussing the film. “It was just truly fascinating,” she said. “There were people at the table who refused to see the Barbie movie. One guy was like, ‘Dude, it is a cultural moment, don’t you want to be a part of culture?’ And the other guy was like, ‘I’ll never see it,’ and by the end he did want to see it. It was a whole thing.”

    Robbie recalled she couldn’t resist approaching the group to say hello. “It took a full minute for them to realize, and I was practically out the door. And then they were like, ‘Ohhhh!’ It was very funny.”

    “People’s reactions to the movie have been the biggest reward of this entire experience, whether it’s having a moment like that, or whether it’s listening in the bathrooms, or whether it’s seeing what people are writing online, or even just seeing how much pink I can see in this room right now.”

    “I’ve never been a part of something like this. Not like this. I’ve done comic book stuff and that gets a big reaction, but this felt very different. It still feels very different. And I can’t think of a time when a movie’s had this effect on culture. And it’s amazing to be in the eye of the storm.”

    This Best Picture nomination is Robbie’s first as a producer—she acquired the rights to Mattel’s Barbie with her production company LuckyChap and shares the nomination with fellow producers David Heyman, Tom Ackerley and Robbie Brenner.

    2024 Family Film & TV Awards Winners

    (1/29/24) Outstanding Actors in a Feature Film: Margot Robbie (Barbie)

    2024 BAFTA Nominations

    (1/18/24) Winners will be announced at the 2024 BAFTA Film Awards ceremony, hosted by actor David Tennant on February 18 at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall in London.

    LEADING ACTRESS
    FANTASIA BARRINO The Color Purple
    SANDRA HÜLLER Anatomy of a Fall
    CAREY MULLIGAN Maestro
    VIVIAN OPARAH Rye Lane
    MARGOT ROBBIE Barbie
    EMMA STONE Poor Things

    2024 SAG Awards Nominations

    (1/10/24) Winners in SAG’s 15 categories will be announced Saturday, February 24 at the Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall in Los Angeles in a ceremony streaming live on Netflix.

    Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
    ANNETTE BENING / Diana Nyad – “NYAD”
    LILY GLADSTONE / Mollie Burkhart – “KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON”
    CAREY MULLIGAN / Felicia Montealegre – “MAESTRO”
    MARGOT ROBBIE / Barbie – “BARBIE”
    EMMA STONE / Bella Baxter – “POOR THINGS”

    Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture

    AMERICAN FICTION
    ERIKA ALEXANDER / Coraline
    ADAM BRODY / Wiley Valdespino
    STERLING K. BROWN / Clifford Ellison
    KEITH DAVID / Willy the Wonker
    JOHN ORTIZ / Arthur
    ISSA RAE / Sintara Golden
    TRACEE ELLIS ROSS / Lisa Ellison
    LESLIE UGGAMS / Agnes Ellison
    JEFFREY WRIGHT / Thelonious “Monk” Ellison

    BARBIE
    MICHAEL CERA / Allan
    WILL FERRELL / Mattel CEO
    AMERICA FERRERA / Gloria
    RYAN GOSLING / Ken
    ARIANA GREENBLATT / Sasha
    KATE MCKINNON / Barbie
    HELEN MIRREN / Narrator
    RHEA PERLMAN / Ruth
    ISSA RAE / Barbie
    MARGOT ROBBIE / Barbie

    THE COLOR PURPLE
    HALLE BAILEY / Young Nettie
    FANTASIA BARRINO / Celie
    JON BATISTE / Grady
    DANIELLE BROOKS / Sofia
    CIARA / Nettie
    COLMAN DOMINGO / Mister
    AUNJANUE ELLIS-TAYLOR / Mama
    LOUIS GOSSETT, JR. / Ol’ Mister
    COREY HAWKINS / Harpo
    TARAJI P. HENSON / Shug Avery
    PHYLICIA PEARL MPASI / Young Celie
    GABRIELLA WILSON “H.E.R.” / Squeak

    KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON
    TANTOO CARDINAL / Lizzie Q
    ROBERT DE NIRO / William Hale
    LEONARDO DICAPRIO / Ernest Burkhart
    BRENDAN FRASER / W.S. Hamilton
    LILY GLADSTONE / Mollie Burkhart
    JOHN LITHGOW / Prosecutor Peter Leaward
    JESSE PLEMONS / Tom White

    OPPENHEIMER
    CASEY AFFLECK / Boris Pash
    EMILY BLUNT / Kitty Oppenheimer
    KENNETH BRANAGH / Niels Bohr
    MATT DAMON / Leslie Groves
    ROBERT DOWNEY JR. / Lewis Strauss
    JOSH HARTNETT / Ernest Lawrence
    RAMI MALEK / David Hill
    CILLIAN MURPHY / J. Robert Oppenheimer
    FLORENCE PUGH / Jean Tatlock

    Nominations For Family Film And TV Awards

    (12/28/23) The awards show that will air on CBS and stream on Paramount+ on January 27. A panel of industry experts, celebrities and Popstar! magazine readers will select the winners from 11 categories during the broadcast.

    Outstanding Actors in a Feature Film
    Chris Pine (Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves)
    Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3)
    Halle Bailey (The Little Mermaid)
    Margot Robbie (Barbie)
    Ryan Gosling (Barbie)
    Timothée Chalamet (Wonka)

    Michael Mosley, Rob Morgan & Mira Sorvino Ink College Football Pic ‘Signing Day’

    (12/14/23) Michael Mosley, Rob Morgan and Mira Sorvino have boarded writer/director Glen Owen’s college football feature Signing Day.

    The dramatic comedy follows one of the most important days for high school football players seeking football scholarships. The Power Five college football conferences alone reached $3.3 billion in 2022, more than college basketball and baseball combined. In the pic, Walt McFadden, an ambitious football coach, is eager to sign the nation’s top defensive end, Tony Raymond. He travels to a small town in Alabama, determined to make his mark as a rising coach in a place swarming with rival recruiters. In the process, McFadden gets caught up with Tony’s dysfunctional family and is forced to navigate a series of comical misadventures.

    Cameras began to roll on Dec. 4 in and around Covington, GA.

    Owen is also producing Signing Day from State Line Films, in addition to Don Mandrik from Georgia Production Finance, as well as John Thomas and Kristy Clabaugh from SB Pictures. The feature is Georgia-born, developed and produced in the state, but was also fully financed by a small group of Georgia-based investors with NFL Hall of Famer and UGA legend Champ Bailey serving as one of the EPs alongside Tiffany FitzHenry.

    Owen co-wrote and directed the thriller Stalked Withinfor Paramount/BET. He also served as Co-Producer on the hit comedy, Golden Arm, which aired on HBO. He is repped by Rosen Law Group.

    Sorvino is repped by Independent Artists Group and Circle of Confusion. Morgan is repped by Stride Management and Yorn, Levine, Barnes, Krintzman, Rubenstein, Kohner, Endlich, Goodell & Gellman. Mosley is a client of Gersh and Hansen, Jacobson, Teller, Hoberman, Newman, Warren, Richman, Rush, Kaller, Gellman, Meigs & Fox.

    Australia’s AACTA International Awards Nominations

    (12/14/23) The hardware will be handed out February 10 at AACTA Awards, held on the Gold Coast in Queensland.

    Best Lead Actress
    Cate Blanchett – The New Boy
    Lily Gladstone – Killers of the Flower Moon
    Carey Mulligan – Maestro
    Margot Robbie – Barbie
    Emma Stone – Poor Things

    The Critics Choice Awards Nominations

    (12/13/23) The 29th annual Critics Choice Awards will air live Sunday January 14, 2024 on The CW from 7-10 pm ET (delayed PT, check local listings).

    BEST ACTRESS
    Lily Gladstone – Killers of the Flower Moon
    Sandra Hüller – Anatomy of a Fall
    Greta Lee – Past Lives
    Carey Mulligan – Maestro
    Margot Robbie – Barbie
    Emma Stone – Poor Things

    Nominations For The 81st Annual Golden Globe Awards

    (12/11/23) The awards ceremony will Air Live on CBS and Stream on Paramount+ on Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024

    BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – MUSICAL OR COMEDY
    FANTASIA BARRINO (THE COLOR PURPLE)
    JENNIFER LAWRENCE (NO HARD FEELINGS)
    NATALIE PORTMAN (MAY DECEMBER)
    ALMA PÖYSTI (FALLEN LEAVES)
    MARGOT ROBBIE (BARBIE)
    EMMA STONE (POOR THINGS)

    BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE ON TELEVISION
    ELIZABETH DEBICKI (THE CROWN)
    ABBY ELLIOTT (THE BEAR)
    CHRISTINA RICCI (YELLOWJACKETS)
    J. SMITH-CAMERON (SUCCESSION)
    MERYL STREEP (ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING)
    HANNAH WADDINGHAM (TED LASSO)

    Saturn Award Nominations

    (12/6/23) The Saturns, which honor the best in genre entertainment across film and television, are organized by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror. Winners will be announced February 4, 2024 in a ceremony at the LA Marriott Burbank Airport Hotel and will stream live on ElectricNow.

    Best Actress in a Film
    Viola Davis, The Woman King (TriStar Pictures)
    Mia Goth, Pearl (A24)
    Anya Taylor-Joy, The Menu (Searchlight Pictures)
    Amber Midthunder, Prey (20th Century Studios/Hulu)
    Margot Robbie, Barbie (Warner Bros. Pictures)
    Zoe Saldana, Avatar: The Way of Water (Walt Disney/Lightstorm)

    Critics Choice Awards TV Nominations

    (12/5/23) The hardware will be handed out during Critics Choice Awards gala on Sunday, January 14. Chelsea Handler will host the ceremony that airs live from 7-10 p.m. in the East on The CW and delayed in the West.

    BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
    Nicole Beharie – The Morning Show (Apple TV+)
    Elizabeth Debicki – The Crown (Netflix)
    Sophia Di Martino – Loki (Disney+)
    Celia Rose Gooding – Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (Paramount+)
    Karen Pittman – The Morning Show (Apple TV+)
    Christina Ricci – Yellowjackets (Showtime)

    ‘Ocean’s 11’ Prequel: Producer Teases Margot Robbie & Ryan Gosling Film Will “Do Right By The Franchise”

    (10/10/23) Josey McNamara is teasing the Ocean’s 11 prequel that is in the works and set to star Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, reuniting the Barbie stars in a new film.

    “They’re wonderful together. The more projects even outside of that we can have them do would be amazing,” McNamara told Games Radar at the BFI London Film Festival during the Saltburn red carpet.

    In terms of the actual premise of the film, McNamara kept mum but teased that it would “do right by the franchise.”

    “I can’t really say much,” McNamara said, “but I think we’re just trying to do right by the franchise. I’m excited for people to experience it when it’s ready.”

    The film has been in “active development” since last year with Carrie Solomon penning the prequel set in 1960s Europe. Robbie and Tom Ackerly will produce for LuckyChap, alongside Roach and Michelle Graham for Everyman Pictures. Gary Ross, Olivia Milch and LuckyChap’s Josey McNamara will exec produce alongside Village Roadshow, which may also co-finance the pic.

    The Ocean’s franchise was launched by Steven Soderbergh back in 2001 and based on the 1960 Rat Pack pic. George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon and Julia Roberts starred in the film that would end up grossing over $450M worldwide. A sequel titled Ocean’s Twelve would be released in 2004 followed by Ocean’s Thirteen in 2007. In 2018, Ocean’s 8 was released with a female-centric cast that included Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Sarah Paulson, Mindy kaling, Awkafina, Helena Bonham Carter and Rihanna.

    Christina Ricci slams Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis’ support of Danny Masterson: Discrediting victims is ‘a crime’

    (9/10/23) Christina Ricci seemingly slammed Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis for praising convicted rapist Danny Masterson’s character in pre-sentencing letters to the judge.

    The “Addams Family” star – who allegedly suffered “severe physical and emotional abuse” at the hands of ex-husband James Heerdegen – took to her Instagram Story Saturday to speak out in support of victims after Masterson’s sentencing.

    “So sometimes people we loved and admired do horrible things. They might not do these things to us and we only know who they were to us but that doesn’t mean they didn’t do the horrible things and to discredit the abused is a crime,” Ricci, 43, wrote.

    “People we know as ‘awesome guys’ can be predators and abusers. It’s tough to accept but we have to. If we say we support victims – women, children, men, boys – then we must be able to take this stance.”

    Ricci continued, “Unfortunately I’ve known lots of ‘awesome guys’ who were lovely to me but have been proven to be abusers privately. I’ve also had personal experience with this. Believe victims. It’s not easy to come forward. It’s not easy to get a conviction.”

    Both Kutcher, 45, and Kunis, 40, starred alongside Masterson, 47, in “That ’70s Show.” The married couple were among 50 people who “vouched” for the disgraced actor’s “exceptional character” after he was convicted on two counts of rape.

    Masterson was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison earlier this week for the rapes of two women, both of which were committed in 2003.

    Following Masterson’s sentencing, Ricci also shared a candid selfie with her 9-year-old son, Freddie, captioned, “We out here believing and hoping for a better future.”

    Ricci’s social media posts came just one day after court reporter Meghann Cuniff published the character letters for Masteron’s case, in which Kutcher and Kunis pleaded for Judge Charlaine Olmedo’s leniency.

    “As a friend, Danny has been nothing but a positive influence on me. He’s an extraordinarily honest and intentional human being,” Kutcher wrote, noting that Masterson served as a “role model” for him.

    “I attribute not falling into the typical Hollywood life of drugs directly to Danny,” the “Cheaper by the Dozen” star continued.

    “Any time that we were to meet someone or interact with someone who was on drugs, or did drugs, he made it clear that that wouldn’t be a good person to be friends with.”

    Meanwhile, Kunis credited her former co-star with being an “amazing friend, confidant, and, above all, an outstanding older brother figure to me.”

    “His caring nature and ability to offer guidance have been instrumental in my growth both personally and professionally,” the “Friends With Benefits” actress wrote.

    The pair quickly spoke out after receiving backlash for the letters.

    “We are aware of the pain that has been caused by the character letters that we wrote on behalf of Danny Masterson,” the “Punk’d” creator said in a video message shared via Instagram Saturday.

    Kunis chimed in, “We support victims. We have done this historically through our work and will continue to do so in the future.”

    Ricci, for her part, was allegedly the victim of her ex-husband’s emotional and physical abuse.

    The “Casper” star filed for divorce from Heerdegen in July 2020 following seven years of marriage, and was granted an emergency protective order after police were called to their home.

    In court docs obtained by TMZ, she claimed her then-husband’s abuse began in December 2019, at which time she told him she wanted a divorce.

    When the COVID-19 lockdown began in early 2020, she “found herself trapped in a house with a violent abuser.”

    Ricci also claimed he told her, “the only way he could feel sorry for me is if I were dismembered into small pieces” in late 2019, “something that made me think that [he] could kill me.”

    They finalized their divorce in December 2022 and share custody of their son, Freddie.

    The “Wednesday” star has since welcomed a daughter, Cleo, with her second husband, Mark Hampton.

    2024 Hollywood Walk Of Fame Honorees

    (6/26/23) In the category of Motion Pictures: Chadwick Boseman (posthumous),Kevin Feige, Gal Gadot, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Chris Meledandri, Chris Pine, Christina Ricci and Michelle Yeoh

    In the category of Television: Ken Jeong, Eugene Levy, Mario Lopez, Jim Nantz, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Michael Schur, Kerry Washington and Raúl De Molina and Lili Estefan, co-hosts of the television show "El Gordo y La Flaca" (double ceremony)

    In the category of Recording: Glen Ballard, Toni Braxton, DEF LEPPARD, Charles Fox, Sammy Hagar, Brandy Norwood, Darius Rucker, Gwen Stefani and Andre "Dr. Dre" Young

    In the category of Live Theatre/Live Performance: Jane Krakowski and Otis Redding (posthumous)

    In the category of Radio: Angie Martinez

    In the category of Sports Entertainment: Billie Jean King and Carl Weathers

    Dates have not been scheduled for these star ceremonies.

    Recipients have two years to schedule star ceremonies from the date of selection before they expire.

    Upcoming star ceremonies are usually announced ten days prior to dedication on the official web site www.walkoffame.com.

    Christina Ricci slams ‘vindictive’ ex-husband for allegedly blocking NYC trip with son: docs

    (6/25/23) Christina Ricci is accusing her ex-husband, James Heerdegen, of being “vindictive” for allegedly not allowing their 8-year-old son, Freddie, to go on a work trip to New York City with her.

    In court documents obtained by Page Six, the “Casper” actress, 43, claimed the film producer — identified as “Jimmy” in the filing — initially agreed to let her take their child on the mother-son getaway, but later changed his mind.

    “Jimmy’s refusal to agree causes me concern, because he clearly was being vindictive and retaliatory when he initially refused my request to travel for the additional dates,” Ricci stated in the court docs filed June 20.

    “As recently as Monday, June 19, 2023, Jimmy was agreeable to allowing Freddie to travel with me, but apparently he still wants to wait until our hearing to discuss it.”

    Ricci provided screenshots of text messages that showed Heerdegen allegedly wrote that he “didn’t have a problem” with their son traveling with her for a “couple of days.”

    However, he allegedly then texted on June 19 that he and the “Monster” star had a “number of pending matters” that they needed to address in a court date on June 21.

    Ricci said she is concerned that if the hearing doesn’t go Heerdegen’s way, he will “renege.” The “Addams Family” star is seeking an emergency hearing.

    She also claimed her ex is “purposefully” making her “incur attorneys’ fees unnecessarily,” which could have an impact on her “employment and professional reputation.”

    “I also ask that the court consider retaliatory litigation conduct when making custody orders,” Ricci added, per the documents. “This is the second ex parte that I have had to file requesting that I be permitted to travel with Freddie for work.”

    The Emmy nominee alleged that the first ex parte, which is an order that does not give the opposing parties the usual amount of notice, was filed at the end of January when her ex “reneged on his agreement to allow Freddie to travel with [her] for work in Canada.”

    Ricci claimed he “retaliated” against her by “filing his own ex parte requesting that the court eliminate [her] tie-breaking authority on education.”

    “Jimmy seems to be more focused on harassing and punishing me than on Freddie’s best interests,” she alleged. Page Six has reached out to Heerdegen’s reps for comment.

    In the summer of 2020, Ricci filed for divorce from Heerdegen after nearly seven years of marriage following an alleged domestic battery incident.

    Months later, the cinematographer requested a temporary restraining order against the actress, but it was denied.

    In April 2021, the exes reached an agreement on custody of their son. At the time, Freddie lived with the “Yellowjackets” star in Vancouver, Canada, while she filmed a project.

    Heerdegen was given visitation rights and Ricci agreed to pay his “reasonable costs for travel and accommodations,” which included “economy airfare.”

    After the former couple finalized their divorce last December, they agreed to share custody of Freddie with Ricci having deciding power over his education, which she pays, and his medical care.

    In October 2021, the actress tied the knot with Mark Hampton. They welcomed a daughter named Cleo just two months later.

    Margot Robbie reveals ‘dorky’ actress that turned down ‘Barbie’ role

    (5/24/23) This Barbie is dorky.

    Margot Robbie revealed she tried to cast Israeli beauty queen Gal Gadot in her upcoming blockbuster because she had such strong “Barbie energy,” but the actress turned her down.

    “Gal Gadot is so impossibly beautiful, but you don’t hate her for being that beautiful, because she’s so genuinely sincere, and she’s so enthusiastically kind, that it’s almost dorky,” the Australian actress told Vogue in a cover story published Wednesday.

    “It’s like right before being a dork,” Robbie added.

    Gadot — who was crowned Miss Israel in 2004 and has starred in movies like “Wonder Woman” and the “Fast & Furious” franchise — wasn’t available to shoot the Greta Gerwig-helmed “Barbie” film. It’s likely she was busy filming other projects, including Gerwig’s upcoming “Snow White” film.

    While Robbie plays the titular role in the film, there are several other iterations of the infamous doll in this universe.

    Issa Rae, Hari Nef, Emma Mackey, Dua Lipa, Sharon Rooney, Ana Cruz Kayne, Alexandra Shipp and Kate McKinnon are among the actress’ who will help bring the Mattel icon to life, while Ryan Gosling stars opposite Robbie as Ken.

    Elsewhere in the interview, the “Suicide Squad” star admitted that she doesn’t know if she even owned a Barbie doll growing up.

    “I don’t think I did,” she said.

    “I know my cousin had a bunch of Barbies, and I’d go to her house.”

    The Oscar nominee — who posed on the magazine cover in a satin Versace gown covered in flowers — both produces and stars in the movie, having secured the film rights for her company, LuckyChap.

    “It wasn’t that I ever wanted to play Barbie, or dreamt of being Barbie, or anything like that,” she said.

    “This is going to sound stupid, but I really didn’t even think about playing Barbie until years into developing the project.”

    When it comes to her character’s outfits, which range from a tight neon rollerskating ensemble to a pink cowgirl set, the blond beauty said the doll “should never be sexy.”

    “I’m like, Okay, she’s a doll. She’s a plastic doll. She doesn’t have organs. If she doesn’t have organs, she doesn’t have reproductive organs,” Robbie explained.

    She went on to note that Barbie probably wouldn’t “feel sexual desire.”

    “She is sexualized. But she should never be sexy. People can project sex onto her,” the “Babylon” star continued.

    “Yes, she can wear a short skirt, but because it’s fun and pink. Not because she wanted you to see her butt.”

    “Barbie” hits theaters on July 21.

    ‘Sex/Life’ Canceled By Netflix After Two Seasons

    (4/7/23) The end has come for Netflix’s Sex/Life. The streamer is not moving forward with a third season of the dramedy series starring Sarah Shahi, Margaret Odette, Mike Vogel and Adam Demos, Deadline has confirmed.

    According to a Netflix spokesperson, the second season brought the series to a natural close, wrapping up the storylines for key characters whose relationships come to a happy conclusion, adding the streamer is proud of the show and the work put in to it by producers, cast and crew.

    Created by Stacy Rukeyser, Sex/Life — inspired by the book 44 Chapters About 4 Men by BB Easto — tells the story of a love triangle between a woman, her husband, and her past that takes a provocative new look at female identity and desire.

    Rukeyser served as showrunner, creator, executive producer and writer. Oscar-winning producer J. Miles Dale and Jordan Hawley also executive produce.

    There has been speculation for a while that Season 2, which was released last month by Netflix, would be its last. Series star Shahi was recently announced as the lead of ABC pilot Judgement, from former Charmed showrunner Joey Falco and 20th Television. As we previously reported, Shahi had been in talks for the project since January as ABC and producers worked through her commitment on Sex/Life. She would have been able to reprise her role on Sex/Life, if the show had been renewed, subject to availability, as she is in first position on Judgement.

    Shahi detailed her struggles with show’s second season on the Not Skinny But Not Fat podcast earlier this month.

    “I definitely did not have the support that I did the first season,” Shahi said. “I’m not going to put it [the show] down, but I definitely did not have the support that I did the first season from the people involved in the show,” Shahi said. She also predicted that she was “never gonna work for Netflix again now after saying all this.”

    Rukeyser is working with Netflix on a new project, we hear.

    MTV Movie & TV Awards: 2023 Nominations

    (4/5/23) Hosted by Drew Barrymore, the 2023 Movie & TV Awards will air live on MTV April 7 from Barker Hangar in Santa Monica.

    Fans can begin voting today for their favorites at vote.mtv.com through April 17 at 6 PM ET.

    BEST PERFORMANCE IN A SHOW
    • Aubrey Plaza — The White Lotus
    • Christina Ricci — Yellowjackets
    • Jenna Ortega — Wednesday
    • Riley Keough — Daisy Jones & The Six
    • Sadie Sink — Stranger Things
    • Selena Gomez — Only Murders in the Building

    ‘Barbie’ Trailer & Posters

    (4/4/23) Trailer #2, Poster 1, Poster 2.

    ‘Yellowjackets’: Showtime Drops New Trailer For Season 2 Of Drama From Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson

    (3/9/23) (Video) Showtime has dropped another trailer for season two of Yellowjackets, which will return for its second season Friday, March 24 on streaming and on demand for subscribers. It’ll make its on-air debut Sunday, March 26 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

    The season two trailer marks the release of Florence + The Machine’s new single “Just A Girl,” a cover of No Doubt’s song from 1995. The single is produced by Florence Welch and Mark Bowen of Idles.

    “I’m such a huge fan of Yellowjackets and this era of music, and this song especially had a huge impact on me growing up, so I was thrilled to be asked to interpret it in a deeply unsettling way for the show,” said Florence Welch in a statement. “We tried to really add some horror elements to this iconic song to fit the tone of the show. And as someone who’s first musical love was pop punk and Gwen Stefani it was a dream job.”

    Season one, which earned a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes and received seven Emmy nominations, averaged more than 5 million weekly viewers across platforms and was the second-most streamed series in Showtime history. Produced for Showtime by studio Entertainment One (eOne), the series is currently in production in Vancouver.

    Yellowjackets follows a team of high school girl soccer players who become the unlucky survivors of a plane crash deep in the remote northern wilderness. Beyond the original cast that includes Melanie Lynskey, Christina Ricci, Tawny Cypress and Lewis, season 2 will feature Wood, Lauren Ambrose and Simone Kessell, along with Sophie Nélisse, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Sophie Thatcher, Samantha Hanratty, Courtney Eaton, Liv Hewson, Steven Krueger, Warren Kole and Kevin Alves.

    Yellowjackets was created Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson. Produced by studio Entertainment One (eOne), the series is currently in production in Vancouver.

    Nominations For The Critics Choice Super Awards

    (2/22/23) This year’s winners will be revealed March 16.

    BEST ACTRESS IN A HORROR SERIES, LIMITED SERIES OR MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE
    Jennifer Coolidge – The Watcher
    Natasia Demetriou – What We Do in the Shadows
    Katja Herbers – Evil
    Niecy Nash-Betts – Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story
    Jenna Ortega – Wednesday
    Christina Ricci – Wednesday

    ‘The Dresden Sun’: First Look At Christina Ricci In Sci-Fi Action Pic, World Sales Deal Inked

    (2/6/23) (Photo) VMI Worldwide has boarded worldwide sales to sci-fi actioner The Dresden Sun, starring Wednesday’s Christina Ricci, Mena Suvari, Linus Roache, Steven Ogg and Samantha Win.

    The film follows a heist that goes south when a brilliant, principled mercenary (Ogg) with a traumatic history works with an insider to steal a prized commodity called “the sphere” from Peredor Corporation and Dr. Dresden (Ricci).

    Above is a first look at Ricci who is coming off Netflix hit Wednesday and Showtime series Yellowjackets.

    Penned and directed by Michael Ryan, the film is produced by Tyler Lockamy and Michael Ryan at Archetype Pictures.

    The sales deal was negotiated by Jessica Bennett, COO Productions and Acquisitions for VMI, and Michael Ryan and Tyler Lockamy on the producing side.

    The film is currently in post-production. VMI will be introducing the project to buyers at the upcoming EFM.

    “The Dresden Sun is a whole other world of sci-fi with stylized and sleek action elements with an overall unique concept. We at VMI are very excited to bring this one to market, the stellar cast and level of filmmaking will bring the wow factor,” said Bennett.

    “The Dresden Sun is an allegorical story that deals with ideas and concepts ranging from corporatocracy, interdimensional reality, grief, arrested development, and apostasy. We at Archetype Pictures appreciate working with VMI and their passionate team and are looking forward to their abilities to help deliver the film to the world,” commented filmmaker Michael Ryan.

    ‘Yellowjackets’: Showtime Drops Trailer For Season 2

    (1/13/23) (Video) So far, it looks like Elijah Wood has one of the more astute quotes from Yellowjackets’ second season.

    “Kidnapping, cults, death … your friendships are a little more complicated than most,” says Wood, who plays a dedicated citizen detective named Walter in round two of the popular Showtime drama. He also appears in the season’s first official trailer, which shows Juliette Lewis’ Natalie getting hypnotized before she’s asked to remember what happened on that mountain.

    Oh, but where to start?

    Season two will kick off March 24 on streaming and on demand for all Showtime subscribers, before making its on-air debut on March 26 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Season one, which received seven Emmy nominations, averaged over 5 million weekly viewers across platforms and was the second-most streamed series in Showtime history.

    Yellowjackets follows a team of high school girl soccer players who become the unlucky survivors of a plane crash deep in the remote northern wilderness. Beyond the original cast that includes Melanie Lynskey, Christina Ricci, Tawny Cypress and Lewis, season 2 will feature Wood, Lauren Ambrose and Simone Kessell, along with Sophie Nélisse, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Sophie Thatcher, Samantha Hanratty, Courtney Eaton, Liv Hewson, Steven Krueger, Warren Kole and Kevin Alves.

    Yellowjackets was created Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson. Produced by studio Entertainment One (eOne), the series is currently in production in Vancouver.

    SAG Awards Nominations

    (1/11/23) The winners in the guild’s 15 acting categories will be revealed Sunday, February 26 during a ceremony at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles.

    MOTION PICTURES

    Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture

    BABYLON
    Jovan Adepo / Sidney Palmer
    P.J. Byrne / Max (Ruth’s Asst. Director)
    Diego Calva / Manny Torres
    Lukas Haas / George Munn
    Olivia Hamilton / Ruth Adler
    Li Jun Li / Lady Fay Zhu
    Tobey Maguire / James McKay
    Max Minghella / Irving Thalberg
    Brad Pitt / Jack Conrad
    Margot Robbie / Nellie LaRoy
    Rory Scovel / The Count
    Jean Smart / Elinor St. John
    Katherine Waterston / Estelle

    THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN
    Kerry Condon / Siobhán Súilleabháin
    Colin Farrell / Pádraic Súilleabháin
    Brendan Gleeson / Colm Doherty
    Barry Keoghan / Dominic Kearney

    EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE
    Jamie Lee Curtis / Deirdre Beaubeirdra
    James Hong / Gong Gong
    Stephanie Hsu / Joy Wang/Jobu Tupaki
    Ke Huy Quan / Waymond Wang
    Harry Shum Jr. / Chad
    Jenny Slate / Big Nose
    Michelle Yeoh / Evelyn Wang

    THE FABELMANS
    Jeannie Berlin / Hadassah Fabelman
    Paul Dano / Burt Fabelman
    Judd Hirsch / Uncle Boris
    Gabriel LaBelle / Sammy Fabelman
    David Lynch / John Ford
    Seth Rogen / Bennie Loewy
    Michelle Williams / Mitzi Fabelman

    WOMEN TALKING
    Jessie Buckley / Mariche
    Claire Foy / Salome
    Kate Hallett / Autje
    Judith Ivey / Agata
    Rooney Mara / Ona
    Sheila McCarthy / Greta
    Frances McDormand / Scarface Janz
    Michelle McLeod / Mejal
    Liv McNeil / Neitje
    Ben Whishaw / August
    August Winter / Melvin

    ‘Babylon’ “Naughty” & “Nice” Trailers: Margot Robbie & Brad Pitt In Damien Chazelle’s Old-Hollywood Epic

    (12/19/22) (Videos: Naughty, Nice) Paramount has released a pair of new trailers for Babylon — one deemed “naughty” and the other “nice.” Watch them here, and see the first trailer for Damien Chazelle’s early- Hollywood extravaganza starring Margot Robbie and Brad Pitt farther below.

    Nominations For Australia’s AACTA International Awards

    (12/15/22) The awards, presented by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA), are focused on content made worldwide in 2022, as determined by Australia’s leading filmmakers and content creators. The ceremony will take place virtually on February 24, 2023.

    Best Lead Actress:
    Cate Blanchett, Tár
    Ana de Armas, Blonde
    Margot Robbie, Babylon
    Michelle Williams, The Fabelmans
    Michelle Yeoh, Everything Everywhere All at Once

    ‘Yellowjackets’ Gets Early Season 3 Renewal By Showtime As Chris McCarthy Lays Out Programming Strategy & Signals Slate Review

    (12/15/22) A year ago, Yellowjackets got an early Season 2 renewal five episodes into its freshman run. The Showtime series delivered on the vote of confidence with seven Emmy nominations and more than 5 million weekly viewers. Now it’s getting an ever earlier Season 3 renewal: More than three months ahead of Yellowjackets’ March 26 Season 2 premiere, the network has picked up a new installment of the show from creators/executive producers/co-showrunners Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson, exec producer/co-showrunner Jonathan Lisco, eOne and Drew Comins’ studio-based Creative Engine.

    There was a practical rationale behind the timing of the renewals, which come exactly a year apart (the Season 2 pickup was announced December 16, 2021). I hear they were tied to the yearly deadline for picking up the cast’s options, which are up in mid-December.

    But it also makes a statement about Showtime’s programming strategy as the first renewal after the network moved under the purview of Chris McCarthy.

    “With Yellowjackets’ runaway success in Season 1 and the pent-up anticipation for Season 2, we wanted to maximize the momentum by fast-tracking Season 3 now,” said McCarthy, President/CEO, Showtime and Paramount Media Networks. “The show’s ambition is only exceeded by its execution, and I thank the incredible creative team behind it, including Ashley, Bart, Jonathan, eOne and the Showtime team, for turning this into such a success.”

    The early renewal “demonstrates our strong commitment to the show and its ability to continue to grow as well as how it fits clearly within a Showtime brand,” McCarthy added.

    He proceeded to shed light on his vision for the Showtime brand going forward and the content plans around it. McCarthy’s first pickup move after taking over the premium network was to bring in the MTV Entertainment Studios-produced country drama limited series George and Tammy, which had become a free agent after Spectrum pulled away from scripted originals.

    “As we head into 2023 and beyond, our plan is to lean into Showtime’s strengths and focus on three key areas that have defined the brand. Complex and subversive antiheroes like Dexter and Yellowjackets, powerful high-stakes worlds like Homeland and Billions, and unconventional cultural takes like The L Word and The Chi – all with an eye towards making the biggest hits possible and building them into hit franchises as we have done very successfully across the company” McCarthy said. “From Yellowstone to South Park and to our global unscripted formats, these franchises have helped to drive Paramount+ to the fastest-growing streaming service in the U.S. two years in a row, and now we are excited to bring this franchise thinking into the great set of hit series that have defined Showtime.”

    As Paramount Global mulls Showtime’s future as a stand-alone service, its series’ streaming performance is increasingly important. Yellowjackets delivered on that front too, becoming the second most-streamed series in Showtime history behind Dexter: New Blood.

    McCarthy’s comments also bode well for The L Word: Generation Q which is now airing its third season.

    He also echoed recent comments by Paramount Global CEO Bob Bakish about the company’s plans for Showtime, saying he wanted “to make it clear that the [Showtime] brand still matters, and the slate is going to matter even more.” The label also will “lean into franchises,” Bakish added. “We have not announced anything. But you will see that as we move into 2023.”

    Expanding on Bakish’s statement, McCarthy spoke about the network’s franchise strategy, noting that it would involve redistributing resources to the series with franchise potential while “some shows won’t make the cut.” There has been one major Showtime cancellation in the past couple of months, that of drama City On a Hill, with a couple of others likely.

    “We intend to use our successful franchise strategy to fuel the future for Showtime whereby fans make connections with a franchise, and franchises further build the brand and our streaming services and ultimately building long-term value for the company” said McCarthy. “In order to realize that full potential, we will take a critical eye on all series, asking how big can we go in order to place the right creative bets to be additive to the overall company’s IP bank – which means some shows won’t make the cut and others will receive a lot more resources and attention, taken together we only see opportunities to further grow the Showtime brand.”

    Produced by eOne, Yellowjackets has started assembling a writers room for Season 3 as production on Season 2 continues in Vancouver.

    Created by Lyle and Bart Nickerson, Yellowjackets, whose first season earned 100% Rotten Tomatoes rating, stars Melanie Lynskey, Juliette Lewis, Christina Ricci and Tawny Cypress.

    Following the breakout success of Season 1, the show added several big names for Season 2: Lauren Ambrose and Simone Kessell joined as series regulars, along with Elijah Wood in a seasonlong guest arc.

    Equal parts survival epic, psychological horror story and coming-of-age drama, Yellowjackets is the saga of a team of wildly talented high school girls soccer players who become the (un)lucky survivors of a plane crash deep in the remote northern wilderness. The series chronicles their descent from a complicated but thriving team to savage clans, while also tracking the lives they’ve attempted to piece back together nearly 25 years later, proving that the past is never really past and what began out in the wilderness is far from over. Season 2 also stars Sophie Nélisse, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Sophie Thatcher, Samantha Hanratty, Courtney Eaton, Liv Hewson, Steven Krueger, Warren Kole and Kevin Alves.

    Yellowjackets is executive produced by Lyle, Nickerson and fellow showrunner Lisco. Comins of Creative Engine also serves as executive producer. Karyn Kusama directed the pilot. Jacqueline Sacerio oversees the series for eOne.

    Christina Ricci Divorce Finalized ... Shared Custody of Kids, Assets Divvied

    (12/13/22) Christina Ricci and her ex are in agreement ... about their divorce, anyway, and it looks like she's keeping their L.A. home and her movie money -- but she'll cough up a bunch of dough to even things out.

    According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Christina is getting the house in the San Fernando Valley ... while she and her ex-husband, film producer James Heerdegen, will split the money from the upcoming sale of their place in NYC.

    Christina, who's repped by attorney Samantha Spector, will keep all of the residuals and royalties for her work. As for James, he gets a Subaru -- along with his personal belongings, and a one-time payment of $189,687 from Christina.

    There's no spousal or child support according to the docs ... but Christina will pay for 100% of private school, and any uncovered medical expenses for their 8-year-old son, Freddie.

    They'll have joint legal custody, but she makes the tiebreaking call on things like major medical and educational decisions. As for physical custody, that's also split between Christina and James ... although she has primary custody.

    TMZ broke the story, Christina filed for divorce in 2020, citing irreconcilable differences.

    Golden Globe Nominations

    (12/12/22) The 80th annual Golden Globe Awards will veil it's winners January 10 in a live on NBC and Peacock from the Beverly Hilton hosted by Jerrod Carmichael.

    BEST ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – MUSICAL OR COMEDY

    Lesley Manville
    Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris

    Margot Robbie
    Babylon

    Anya Taylor-Joy
    The Menu

    Emma Thompson
    Good Luck to You, Leo Grande

    Michelle Yeoh
    Everything Everywhere All at Once

    ‘Yellowjackets’: Showtime Sets Return Date For Emmy-Nominated Drama

    (12/7/22) (Video) Enough with all the buzzing about Yellowjackets; it’s time to see what the gals from that high school soccer team are going to do next in the frigid mountain air.

    Showtime announced today that Yellowjackets will return for its second season Friday, March 24 on streaming and on demand for subscribers, before making its on-air debut on Sunday, March 26 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

    Season one, which earned a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes and received seven Emmy nominations, averaged more than 5 million weekly viewers across platforms and was the second-most streamed series in Showtime history. Produced for Showtime by studio Entertainment One (eOne), the series is currently in production in Vancouver.

    Created by Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson (Narcos), Yellowjackets stars Melanie Lynskey (Castle Rock), Juliette Lewis (Camping), Christina Ricci (Z: The Beginning of Everything) and Tawny Cypress (Unforgettable). Lauren Ambrose (Six Feet Under, Servant) and Simone Kessell (Obi-Wan Kenobi) have also joined the second season as series regulars, along with Elijah Wood (The Lord of the Rings trilogy) in a season long guest arc.

    Equal parts survival epic, psychological horror story and coming-of-age drama, Yellowjackets is the saga of a team of wildly talented high school girls soccer players who become the unlucky survivors of a plane crash deep in the remote northern wilderness. The series chronicles their descent from a complicated but thriving team to savage clans, while also tracking the lives they’ve attempted to piece back together nearly 25 years later, proving that the past is never really past and what began out in the wilderness is far from over.

    Season two also stars Sophie Nélisse (The Book Thief), Jasmin Savoy Brown (The Leftovers), Sophie Thatcher (Prospect), Samantha Hanratty (SHAMELESS), Courtney Eaton (Mad Max: Fury Road), Liv Hewson (Santa Clarita Diet), Steven Krueger (The Originals), Warren Kole (Shades of Blue) and Kevin Alves.

    Yellowjackets is executive produced by Lyle, Nickerson and fellow showrunner Jonathan Lisco. Drew Comins of Creative Engine also serves as executive producer. Karyn Kusama directed the pilot.

    ‘Babylon’ Trailer: Margot Robbie, Brad Pitt & Diego Calva Lead Damien Chazelle’s Old Hollywood Epic

    (11/28/22) (Video) Paramount has unveiled a new trailer for Babylon — the latest awards contender from filmmaker Damien Chazelle, which opens wide on December 23rd.

    Read more about the film below; watch the trailer above.

    NBC LAUNCHES NEW GAME SHOW ‘THE WHEEL’ WITH A TWO-WEEK TAKEOVER DURING THE HOLIDAYS, BEGINNING MONDAY, DEC. 19

    (11/21/22) NBC rounds out the year with a two-week takeover of the UK’s smash hit game show “The Wheel,” hosted by renowned British comedian Michael McIntyre. The all-new U.S. version showcases a colossal spinning wheel of celebrity guests who help everyday contestants win life-changing money.

    The takeover begins Monday, Dec. 19 with new episodes airing nightly at 10 p.m. ET/PT, and continues the following week with new episodes airing at 8 p.m. The series features suspenseful high-stakes trivia, laugh-out-loud moments and more than 50 all-star guests seated on a spectacular 42-foot-wide spinning wheel.

    The all-star lineup includes Clay Aiken, Carole Baskin, Brie Bella, Tom Bergeron, Bobby Berk, Bre-Z, Jaime Camil, Christine Chiu, Margaret Cho, Deepak Chopra, Cat Cora, Victor Cruz, Ester Dean, Russell Dickerson, Taye Diggs, Sheila E., Shawn Johnson East, Josh Flagg, Kate Flannery, Vivica A. Fox, Debbie Gibson, Todrick Hall, Tony Hawk, Matt Iseman, JoJo, Chris Kattan, Steve Kornacki, Ricki Lake, Lyric Lewis, Loni Love, Judge Greg Mathis, Mark McGrath, Chrissy Metz, Mike “The Miz” Mizanin, Terrell Owens, Kyla Pratt, Christina Ricci, Andy Richter, Amber Riley, Adam Rippon, Captain Lee Rosbach, Jalen Rose, Sanya Richards Ross, Amber Ruffin, Mark Sanchez, Tori Spelling, Curtis Stone, Raven-Symone, Jackie Tohn, Bruno Tonioli, John Urschel, Buddy Valastro, Kym Whitley, Justin Willman, Carnie Wilson and Captain Sandy Yawn.

    Created and hosted by McIntyre, each hourlong episode follows six celebrity guests spinning, advising and supporting charismatic contestants as they endeavor to be the last one standing. As the contestants vie for the chance to win over $100,000, the celebrities lend their expertise in a variety of hilarious and outrageous categories from candy and comedians to poker and politics.

    Below is the episode rollout:

    Monday, Dec. 19 at 10 p.m. – “The Wheel: Premiere”
    Contestants receive help from celebrity guests Cat Cora, Mark McGrath, Todrick Hall, Steve Kornacki, Christina Ricci and Amber Ruffin to answer trivia questions tackling a range of categories from Beyoncé and the ’90s to elections and more.

    Tuesday, Dec. 20 at 10 p.m. – “Boats, Soaps & Wrestling Ropes”
    With categories ranging from soap operas to mathematics, contestants receive help from celebrity guests Vivica A. Fox, Mike “The Miz” Mizanin, JoJo, John Urschel, Captain Sandy Yawn and Bruno Tonioli.

    Wednesday, Dec. 21 at 10 p.m. – “Déjà Vu & Eyes of Blue”
    Celebrity guests Judge Greg Mathis, Ricki Lake, Mark Sanchez, Amber Ruffin, Justin Willman and Tori Spelling lend their expertise in a variety of categories that include candy, magic and Beverly Hills to assist contestants competing for a life-changing prize.

    Thursday, Dec. 22 at 10 p.m. – “Divas & Derbies”
    With categories including cakes, horse racing, percussion and more, contestants are supported by celebrity experts Buddy Valastro, Amber Riley, Jaime Camil, Carnie Wilson, Steve Kornacki and Sheila E.

    Friday, Dec. 23 at 10 p.m. – “Fish N’ Chips & Gold Medal Flips”
    Celebrity guests Tom Bergeron, Shawn Johnson East, Captain Lee Rosbach, Kyla Pratt, Victor Cruz and Debbie Gibson lend their expertise to contestants in a wide range of hilarious categories, including “The Three Stooges,” gymnastics and seafood.

    Monday, Dec. 26 at 8 p.m. – “Big Cats & Bigger Brains”
    With wacky categories including big cats and bowling, contestants lean on celebrities Carole Baskin, Bre-Z, Deepak Chopra, Matt Iseman, Raven-Symone and Terrell Owens to be the last one standing on “The Wheel.”

    Tuesday, Dec. 27 at 8 p.m. – “Wigs Galore, Dogs & More”
    Contestants hope for answers from celebrity experts Bobby Berk, Margaret Cho, Kate Flannery, Loni Love, Andy Richter and Adam Rippon in categories that include wigs, comedians, dogs, figure skating and more.

    Wednesday, Dec. 28 at 8 p.m. – “Sky Hooks & the Almighty Book”
    Celebrity experts Taye Diggs, Ester Dean, Josh Flagg, Lyric Lewis, Jalen Rose and Christine Chiu advise contestants on questions about the Bible, real estate, plastic surgery and more.

    Thursday, Dec. 29 at 8 p.m. – “A Spin, a Twin & a Win”
    With categories including astrology, presidents and country music, contestants lean on celebrity experts Chrissy Metz, Sanya Richards Ross, Russell Dickerson, Loni Love, Brie Bella and Clay Aiken.

    Friday, Dec. 30 at 8 p.m. – “The Skater & the Dater”
    Contestants get insight from celebrity guests Christina Ricci, Chris Kattan, Kym Whitley, Tony Hawk, Jackie Tohn and Curtis Stone on a variety of categories that include “Saturday Night Live,” pregnancy and meat.

    “The Wheel” is produced by Warner Bros. Unscripted Television in association with Warner Horizon, Apploff Entertainment and the original British creative team, Hungry McBear. The series was created by Michael McIntyre and Dan Baldwin, who executive produce alongside Jeff Apploff, Noah Bonnett, Mike Darnell and Brooke Karzen.

    Margot Robbie-Led ‘Pirates Of The Caribbean’ Spinoff Killed By Disney, Oscar Nominee Says

    (11/14/22) Disney’s Margot Robbie-led Pirates of the Caribbean spinoff has been killed by the studio, per the Oscar-nominated actress.

    While Disney couldn’t be reached for comment, Robbie made her remarks in an interview with Vanity Fair published on Monday.

    “We had an idea and we were developing it for a while, ages ago, to have more of a female-led—not totally female-led, but just a different kind of story—which we thought would’ve been really cool,” Robbie said, “but I guess they don’t want to do it.”

    The film stemming from Disney’s theme park attraction-based franchise was first announced back in June 2020, with Batgirl‘s Christina Hodson set to pen the screenplay. It would have followed titles including The Curse of the Black Pearl, Dead Man’s Chest, At World’s End, On Stranger Tides and Dead Men Tell No Tales which together grossed more than $4.5B worldwide between 2003 and 2017, coming in as one of history’s highest-grossing film series.

    Johnny Depp led all past installments as the drunken pirate Captain Jack Sparrow, though Disney parted ways with the actor amid allegations of “sexual violence” and “domestic abuse” against his ex-wife Amber Heard, which she made in a Washington Post op-ed in 2018. While Depp earlier this year sued the Aquaman actress for defamation in Virginia and won his case, he affirmed during the trial that “nothing on earth” could convince him to return to the franchise he’d once loved, given bad blood with the studio.

    Robbie’s comment on the axing of her Pirates project came amid her press tour for the old Hollywood epic Babylon, which has her starring alongside Brad Pitt, Diego Calva and many more. The latest film written and directed by Oscar winner Damien Chazelle (La La Land, First Man) is slated for release by Paramount Pictures on December 23.

    Even in the absence of Disney’s spinoff, Robbie’s dance card remains full. Other upcoming projects for her on the acting front include Warner Bros.’ Barbie, Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City and an as-yet-untitled Ocean’s Eleven film for Warner Bros., which she will also produce.

    'The Calling' Release Date

    (10/27/22) The Calling — a new, eight-episode crime drama from executive producer David E. Kelley — will be released Thursday, Nov. 10 on Peacock; Jeff Wilbusch (Unorthodox), Juliana Canfield (Succession), Karen Robinson (Schitt’s Creek) and Michael Mosley (Ozark) star. Watch a trailer: Video.

    ‘Babylon’ First Look: Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie & Diego Calva Lead Damien Chazelle’s Old Hollywood Epic For Paramount

    (9/8/22) Paramount Pictures has unveiled the first stills from Babylon, the latest feature from Oscar winner Damien Chazelle (La La Land), which hits theaters in limited release on Christmas Day, going wide on January 6th.

    The film led by Brad Pitt (Bullet Train), Margot Robbie (Amsterdam) and Diego Calva (Narcos: Mexico) is an original epic set in 1920s Los Angeles, as Tinseltown makes the transition from silent films to talkies. A tale of outsized ambition and outrageous excess, it traces the rise and fall of multiple characters during an era of unbridled decadence and depravity in early Hollywood.

    For Chazelle, Babylon comes on the heels of the studio features First Man, La La Land and Whiplash. The filmmaker earned his first Oscar nom for Best Adapted Screenplay with his work on the latter title, with La La Land landing a Best Original Screenplay nom and becoming the youngest winner of the Best Director prize.

    Chazelle directed his latest from his own script. Its star-studded cast also includes Jovan Adepo, Li Jun Li, Jean Smart, P.J. Byrne, Lukas Haas, Olivia Hamilton, Tobey Maguire, Max Minghella, Rory Scovel, Katherine Waterston, Flea, Jeff Garlin, Eric Roberts, Ethan Suplee, Samara Weaving and Olivia Wilde.

    Babylon is a Marc Platt / Wild Chickens / Organism Pictures Production. Marc Platt, Matthew Plouffe and Hamilton produced, with Michael Beugg, Maguire, Wyck Godfrey, Helen Estabrook and Adam Siegel serving as exec producers. Check out the first stills from Babylon below.

    Margot Robbie in 'Babylon'
    Li Jun Li in 'Babylon'
    Tobey Maguire in 'Babylon'
    Brad Pitt in 'Babylon'
    Lukas Haas and Diego Calva in 'Babylon'
    Diego Calva and Jean Smart in 'Babylon'
    Jovan Adepo in 'Babylon'
    Margot Robbie in 'Babylon'
    Brad Pitt, Diego Calva in 'Babylon'.

    Ryan Gosling In Talks To Reteam With ‘Barbie’s Margot Robbie For New ‘Ocean’s Eleven’ Film At Warner Bros.

    (8/19/22) Ryan Gosling is in talks to star opposite Margot Robbie in the new Ocean’s Eleven film, which four-time Emmy winner Jay Roach (Bombshell) will direct for Warner Bros., Deadline can confirm. The project follows Gosling and Robbie’s recent work together on Greta Gerwig’s Barbie film for the studio, which has the former playing Ken.

    While we hear that the Ocean’s reboot penned by Carrie Solomon will be set in Europe in the 1960s, further details as to its plot have kept under wraps. The project has not yet been greenlighted—remaining in “active development,” as first reported in May—though we hear Warner Bros. is looking at launching production next spring.

    Robbie and Tom Ackerly will produce for LuckyChap, alongside Roach and Michelle Graham for Everyman Pictures. Gary Ross, Olivia Milch and LuckyChap’s Josey McNamara will exec produce alongside Village Roadshow, which may also co-finance the pic.

    Filmmaker Steven Soderbergh launched the Ocean’s heist franchise—based on the 1960 Rat Pack pic—with Ocean’s Eleven back in 2001. The film starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon and Julia Roberts grossed over $450M worldwide, with its success spurring additional titles including Ocean’s Twelve (2004), Ocean’s Thirteen (2007) and 2018’s female-centric Ocean’s 8.

    Gosling is a two-time Oscar nominee most recently recognized by the Academy for his work on Damien Chazelle’s La La Land, who can currently be seen starring opposite Chris Evans and Ana de Armas in Joe and Anthony Russo’s Netflix tentpole, The Gray Man, which swiftly climbed the ladder to establish itself as one of the streamer’s most-watched movies in its first 28 days on the service. In addition to Barbie, he’ll next be seen starring in David Leitch’s Universal actioner, The Fall Guy, with Emily Blunt.

    News of Gosling’s Ocean’s Eleven talks was first reported by Puck. Gosling is represented by CAA and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern.

    ‘Yellowjackets’ Christina Ricci On Why She Roots For The Underdog — Even If It Bites Her

    (8/15/22) At 15, Christina Ricci appeared in a PG-13 comedy called Now and Then, in which four middle-aged best friends meet up to reflect on their teenage selves. Nearly 30 years later, Showtime’s Yellowjackets is that film’s hard-R evil twin, in which the fortysomething members of a New Jersey school’s female football team are haunted by memories of a traumatic plane crash that left them stranded when they were kids. It’s hard to pick a single performance from a terrific ensemble, but Ricci’s portrayal of the twisted Misty Quigley, played in flashback by Sammi Hanratty, is a standout in a series that shocks and surprises.

    DEADLINE: Why did you want to want to do Yellowjackets?

    CHRISTINA RICCI: I loved the idea of it — the premise in general. But then I read the pilot script and the only scene I had in the whole episode was such an incredibly well written, succinct, informative, evocative scene. It was about a character type I’ve always been fascinated by — petty, small people who are so powerless in the world that their only way to fight back is through these tiny little instances of being able to force their will onto someone else. I’ve always been fascinated by that character type, and I was excited, because I really, really, really enjoy playing characters that do bad things. Then I was told that, later on in the show — if we were picked up — Misty would do some pretty terrible criminal things, and I was completely intrigued. I’m referring more to the murder she commits [laughs]. Kidnapping, torture, that kind of stuff!

    DEADLINE: The show is unusual in that its weaving of the past and present gives both time frames equal weight. Did you always know that would be the case?

    RICCI: I knew after the pilot and I loved that as well, because it’s so helpful for my performance. Frankly, it allows me to start from a further along place then I would if I was the only person playing the character — it’s a real luxury to not have to worry about showing the past. Especially with Misty. She’s such a proactive character: she just goes, goes, goes. The past doesn’t really seem to have had much effect on her. Obviously, it’s shaped her and formed her, but, intellectually, I don’t think she ever looks back.

    DEADLINE: What does a typical script look like? Do you get the whole episode or just your timeline?

    RICCI: We read the whole script and we have a Zoom table read, or at least we did last year. Actually, seeing what happens in the flashback scenes is very important, because a lot of times in the script there’ll be scenes that mirror things that happen in the past. So, I learned to look out for those things, to make sure that I could do them the way that Sammi did, or make sure Sammi did it the same way that I do it in the present.

    DEADLINE: How much interaction did you have with Sammi?

    RICCI: We didn’t have that much interaction before the pilot — we met very briefly. And then when we finally went to shoot the season, we had a lunch and discussed the character. Obviously, neither of us are doctors, so in terms of diagnosing Misty, it’s a little more complicated. But with a character that is so extreme, you do have to have a specific take on her, and rules for her, because she’s still a person.

    DEADLINE: How much research can you do into a character like Misty?

    RICCI: You can’t do any, really, because when you’re doing TV, it’s not set in stone what this character will be doing. You have to have a concept that can evolve and stretch, but you also, as an actor, have to feel confident that you know your parameters. They intentionally put a scene in there when Misty’s a child, where she stares at an animal drowning and dying. To me, that speaks to a lack of empathy, and, as a sort of dime-store psychiatrist, I’d think that they were saying that she’s a bit of a sociopath. From there, what I do is just try to take everything I see written for her and really ground it in reality. And also, with such an extreme character, you never want her to be purely comic relief. I was always like, “I just don’t want her to be a clown. She can’t be the clown.”

    DEADLINE: But she’s still very funny and in a very elevated, witty way.

    RICCI: Well, I don’t think she’s stupid. She’s learned a lot of coping mechanisms, survival skills, methods of getting ahead, manipulative tactics that involve pretending to be as innocuous as possible. I always describe her as a murderous golden retriever. [Laughs] It’s how I describe myself, actually. Inside she’s seething, but she has to cover it all the time with this very innocuous, adorable kind of thing. But that means that her main form of hostility is passive aggression, and usually through the things she says and the things she does, you can tell she’s actually very smart and understands everything that’s going on, even if somehow, she just cannot do the right thing.

    DEADLINE: It’s so nice to see good parts for women. There’s you, Melanie Lynskey, Juliette Lewis, Tawny Cypress… And you’re playing great characters, with not too many men to clutter the horizon.

    RICCI: You’re right. I mean, all the parts on this show are just some of the best examples of characters for women right now, because they are so specific and unique and individual and not just types. That’s something I think that is only now starting to be the norm — that we don’t treat women as tropes or props, and they don’t have to be specific types that we recognize. It’s very strange now. If you read a script or you see a show where women are treated in that way, it’s so glaring. It’s like, “Ooh, that feels dated.”

    DEADLINE: How much have you seen the industry change since you started acting?

    RICCI: For me? Well, when I started, I was a child and just happy to be in that environment and away from home and working. It was exciting and fun, so all I focused on was being really well behaved so that I would get more jobs. But now that I’m past my difficult 20s, and all of the distraction that goes on in that time, I feel like I can really look at my work from a creative, artistic, intellectual standpoint, with all the calm that comes with age. It’s really lovely for that to be what I drown myself in and focus on, and it allows me to shut out all the other kind of stuff about being an actress that is superfluous.

    DEADLINE: How did you find the transition from child acting to adult acting?

    RICCI: Actually, I didn’t have a hard time, because, just as I became 17, independent film became a huge thing and for the first time, filmmakers wanted to cast actual teenagers to play teenagers. The kind of material was so meaty and gritty. That really helped me to not struggle in my transition to doing adult films — but, again, it’s just a time-and-place kind of thing. I got really lucky.

    DEADLINE: Did casting agents have preconceptions of you?

    RICCI: At that time, I did a lot of indies because, in mainstream movies, there was still a lot of leading-lady standards that I didn’t fall into.

    DEADLINE: You’ve certainly seen that change.

    RICCI: Well, yeah. But I’m not at that age anymore. I’m not in my 20s and it’s not the 2000s, when you were either a leading lady or a character actress, and there was no in-between. Now they’re melding and blending. I’m not sure what it’s like to be in your 20s now, as an actress. But I do think, from what I see as a TV- and film-watcher, that they’re also benefiting from playing much more complicated, interesting women.

    DEADLINE: Tell me about your production company. How does that work?

    RICCI: I spend a lot of my time mining for material, articles. One of the pieces I have is an obscure piece of true crime that I found. Another piece is an article from Vanity Fair about old Hollywood lore. I spend most of my time looking for IP and material and then trying to package it, find partners. And I’ve been successful with a few things.

    DEADLINE: What kinds of stories appeal to you?

    RICCI: I usually look for something that’s a little bit different. I love a story; I love an antihero. I love it when the protagonist is just a scumbag, but you’ve got to follow them anyway and figure out why. And I like being challenging — I like the idea of the audience having that sort of emotional character arc experience. You know what I mean? I like turning the tables. I don’t know how to really eloquently describe it, but I like the idea of people seeing something that they think they couldn’t possibly relate to — but then being intrigued enough to want to understand it and follow along with it. I do not believe that audiences have to see themselves in a character to want to watch them and understand them, and that has been something I’ve argued about for my entire career.

    DEADLINE: Where does that interest come from?

    RICCI: I’ve always been like that. I’ve always been that person who stands too close to the abandoned dog and then gets bitten. I’ve always really over-empathized with, maybe, the wrong types of people, because I’m fascinated by deviant behavior. In a weird, Pollyanna-ish way I have that optimism of thinking that people are good deep inside, even when they’re really not.

    DEADLINE: Which of your roles do you think has come closest to achieving what you’ve just been talking about?

    RICCI: I don’t know how to answer that question, but I do feel that — in terms of putting something really off-putting in front of people and then ultimately making it compelling and interesting enough that they want to dive in and end up actually even liking the character — Misty is a very good example of that. I finally found the right job for it.

    DEADLINE: What has the reaction to Yellowjackets been like? On a personal level, not just from reading it in the trades.

    RICCI: People really like it. I mean, everyone I talk to loves it. I have friends who genuinely love it, and they aren’t just saying that because they’re my friends. I have a lot of trouble [processing success]. I’ve always been like that, since I was young and super-famous. I don’t feel famous — I’m just home, doing my day. It’s hard to actually feel this ephemeral thing, that somewhere out there, hanging above us, there’s a hit show and everyone’s crazy for it. I can’t feel that. But it is very, very exciting to be in the position I’m in now, and for the show to be so nominated and for people to really love it. Because it is a bit of a risk in a lot of ways, in the way it deals with women and their characters. And so if it had failed, or been stupid, that would’ve been really a shame for women.

    Margot Robbie Will Appear In Australian Soap ‘Neighbours’ Finale; Star To Join Fellow Alumnae In Waving Goodbye

    (7/24/22) Margot Robbie will delight fans with an unexpected appearance in the finale of Australian soap Neighbours, it has been revealed.

    The I Tonya star, who appeared in the soap as teenager Donna Freedman from 2008 to 2011, has filmed her appearance from Los Angeles.

    Fellow alumnae singers Natalie Imbruglia and Holly Valance will also appear, in scenes filmed in London where both now live.

    They will join former stars Jesse Spencer, Kylie Minogue, Guy Pearce, Jason Donovan and other actors in appearing for one final farewell when the record-breaking soap bows out this week after 37 years on air.

    The show was cancelled earlier this year after British broadcaster Channel 5 took the decision not to renew its contract. While the show’s makers initially searched for an alternative broadcaster, the decision was ultimately taken to cancel production, and bring down the curtain on a unique era in Australian television.

    Emile Hirsch, Shane West, Kelli Garner, And Tania Raymonde Join Benacus Entertainment Film “The Stenographer”

    (7/13/22) Emile Hirsch (Once Upon A Time In Hollywood) , Shane West (Gotham), Kelli Garner (Lars and the Real Girl), Tania Raymonde (Lost) are set to star in the thriller The Stenographer by Benacus Entertainment.

    The film is produced in association with RNF Productions. Mick Davis (Modigliani, The Invisible) penned the script and will also direct. Supporting cast includes David Keith ( Firestarter) and Steve Coulter (Yellowstone).

    The feature film, currently shooting in Atlanta, tells the story of Walden Dean, an unassuming court stenographer in a small southern town. When he discovers he is dying, he decides to exact revenge on criminals who escaped their prosecution.

    “We are thrilled to have such an ensemble of talented cast, under the guidance of our great Writer/Director Mick Davis. Daily we watch these talented actors create magic by bringing to life the words of one of the best scripts we read in a while,” said producers Seth Michaels and Sara Sometti Michaels of Benacus Entertainment.

    Benacus Entertainment is an established production and production service company based in Atlanta, Georgia Who develop and finance their own slate of original content, credits include Southern Gothic, St Agatha and I’ll Be Watching.

    Specializing in the acquisition and sales of quality films, series and documentaries from all over the world, Iuvit, the international sales agency, is handling the global sales of the picture.

    Emile Hirsch is represented by Neil Bajaj at UTA.

    Shane West is represented by Paradigm, Luberrocklin and Fuller Law.

    Kelli Garner is represented by Authentic talent and Lit management and lawyers Hansen, Jacobson, Teller, Hoberman, Newman, Warren, Richman, Rush, Kaller, Gellman Meigst, Fox.

    Tania Raymonde is represented by Gersh and Untitled Entertainment.

    Hollywood Critics Association TV award nominations

    (7/7/22) The awards will be handed out over two nights in ceremonies at the Beverly Hilton. The broadcast network and cable TV awards ceremony will be held on August 13, followed by the streaming awards ceremony on August 14.

    Best Supporting Actress in a Broadcast Network or Cable Series, Drama

    Chrissy Metz, This is Us (NBC)
    Christina Ricci, Yellowjackets (Showtime)
    J. Smith-Cameron, Succession (HBO)
    Rhea Seehorn, Better Call Saul (AMC)
    Sandra Mae Frank, New Amsterdam (NBC)
    Sarah Snook, Succession (HBO)
    Susan Kelechi Watson, This is Us (NBC)
    Sydney Sweeney, Euphoria (HBO)

    ‘Amsterdam’ Trailer: Christian Bale, Margot Robbie & John David Washington Lead Huge Cast In David O. Russell Pic

    (7/6/22) (Video) “You don’t get here without things starting a long time ago,” we’re told near the start of the trailer for David O. Russell’s star-laden Amsterdam. Watch it above, and check out the key art below.

    It’s the story of three friends, two soldiers and a nurse (Christian Bale, John David Washington and Margot Robbie), who find themselves in the titular Dutch capital and form a pact to look out for one another — no matter what. As the Ten Years After classic “I’d Love to Change the World” plays, the trio finds themselves “in a situation where we’re accused of killing someone, which is not true,” as Bale’s character tells us.

    They need someone to help. Enter Robert De Niro, who says, “My friend was killed because of something monstrous that he had seen.”

    As if that isn’t enough star power, the period film also features a few folks you might have heard about over the years: Alessandro Nivola, Andrea Riseborough, Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Rock, Matthias Schoenaerts, Michael Shannon, Mike Myers, Taylor Swift, Zoe Saldaña and Rami Malek.

    Weaving historical fact with fiction, the pic’s tagline is, “A lot of this actually happened.”

    New Regency’s Arnon Milchan produced the pic alongside Matthew Budman, Anthony Katagas, Russell and Bale. Yariv Milchan, Michael Schaefer, and Sam Hanson are the executive producers.

    Amsterdam, whose first footage was shown at CinemaCon, is coming to theaters in November 4 via 20th Century Studios.

    Margot Robbie Come On Barbie, Let's Go Party!!! Ryan Gosling's Ken on Set

    (6/22/22) (Photo) It's all coming to life ... Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling's Barbie and Ken characters came face-to-face on set -- the first time fans have gotten a glimpse of the two together.

    Both clearly were dressed in wardrobe from Barbie's cowgirl collection Tuesday in L.A. Gosling sported a black ensemble, complete with a white cowboy hat -- and Robbie wore Barbie's signature pink with a white hat.

    It's the first time we've seen both characters together on set -- but not the first time we've seen them in costume.

    Fans went nuts when pics of both Gosling and Robbie were first dropped, showing them in the iconic roles.

    While Margot and Ryan are seemingly the movie's leads ... there are also reports other stars will be featured as Barbie and Ken in Greta Gerwig's movie. Simu Liu and Ncuti Gatwa are the alleged additional Kens and Issa Rae and Hari Nef are the alleged other Barbies.

    The movie is expected to be released next summer.

    Patrick J. Adams & Karine Vanasse Cast In CBC’s English-Language Adaptation Of Time-Travel Drama ‘Plan B’

    (6/1/22) Patrick J. Adams (Suits) and Karine Vanasse (Cardinal) have been cast as the leads in an English-language adaptation of time travel drama Plan B for Canada’s CBC.

    Adapted from the Radio-Canada French-language drama created by Jean-François Asselin and Jacques Drolet and set in Montreal, Plan B is billed as high-concept, gripping and intimate psychological drama about a man on a desperate and relentless quest to save his relationship – and by extension, his whole world.

    Adams plays Philip, who discovers how to go back in time, giving him the chance to save his relationship with love of his life Evelyn (Vanasse), his law firm and his dysfunctional family. But he soon realizes that even the smallest choice has repercussions — as uncontrollable as they are unexpected — on his life and the lives of others.

    Quebec-based KOTV, which produces the original series, is attached to the adaption and will be going into production this summer ahead of premieres on CBC and streaming service CBC Gem in winter 2023. Asselin, Drolet and Lynne Kamm are the writers.

    Adams is best known for playing college dropout turned lawyer Mike Ross in USA Network’s Suits between 2011 and 2019, a role that garnered him a Screen Actors Guild nomination. He recently made his Broadway debut in Richard Greenberg’s Tony-nominated revival of Take Me Out and starred as original Mercury 7 astronaut John Glenn in National Geographic’s first scripted series for Disney+, The Right Stuff. Other TV roles on Sneaky Pete, Luck and Orphan Black, while his big screen roles include sci-fi feature and 2019 Toronto International Film Festival selection Clara, Todd Phillips comedy Old School and 2009 Berlin Film Festival competitor Rage.

    Vanasse is an award-winning actress who starred as Detective Lise Delorme in CTV’s drama Cardinal between 2017 and 2020, for which she won a Canadian Screen Award for Best Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 2019 and 2020. She also starred in ABC drama Pan Am and appeared in three seasons of Revenge on the same network, and in the upcoming CBC series Bones of Crows. Her film credits include Denis Villeneuve’s Polytechnique, Malek, Lea Pool’s Set Me Free and Et au Pire, on se Mariera.

    New Slate

    News of the new series comes as CBC today unveils its 2022-23 program line-up at an Upfronts event in Canada.

    Highlights include Fakes, a scripted comedy from David Turko co-produced with Netflix, following two best friends who accidentally build one of the largest fake ID empires in North America. Before they even graduate high school, Zoe and Rebecca move into a sick penthouse, earn more cash than they know what to do with, and then get raided by the feds. The series reveals the story of their ultimate betrayal, told from each of their unreliable POVs as they compete for the last word.

    It stars Emilija Baranac (To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before), Jennifer Tong (Grand Army), and Richard Harmon (The 100).

    On the factual entertainment front, Canada’s Ultimate Challenge is an eight-part competition series from Boat Rocker-owned Insight Productions and The Gurin Company.

    The reality format sees an entire country into a giant obstacle course and six extraordinary coaches, including Olympic sprint champion Donovan Bailey, guide and mentor teams of everyday Canadians at site-specific physical and mental challenges in a unique competition structure.

    Stuff The British Stole, meanwhile, is a six-part show from Wooden Horse, WildBear Entertainment and Cream Productions and is co-produced with the ABC in Australia. It’s based on journalist Marc Fennell’s ABC podcast, which CBC Podcasts also launched in fall last year.

    The show is based on the fact the British Empire stole many items as its grew around the world and today many of those objects are housed in genteel institutions across the U.K. and elsewhere. The series tells the not-so-polite history behind those objects.

    Acquired international series include BBC spy drama Ridley Road, UKTV comedy travelogue Travel Man and season three of StudioCanal and Fox Networks Group drama War of the Worlds.

    ‘Gemini Lounge’: Lucy Hale, Ashley Greene Among New Additions To Crime Thriller From ‘Rush Hour’ Producer Arthur Sarkissian

    (3/29/22) Lucy Hale (Ragdoll), Ashley Greene (The Immaculate Room), Vincent Laresca (Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood), Jake Cannavale (The Offer), Robert Davi (The Goonies), Greg Finley (I Love Us), Bo Dietl (Godfather of Harlem), Sid Rosenberg (Gravesend), Jeremy Luke (Pep) and James Russo (Gravesend) have signed on to star alongside Emile Hirsch in director Danny A. Abeckaser’s crime thriller Gemini Lounge, which marks the first feature from Rush Hour producer Arthur Sarkissian’s new media and entertainment company, Global Ascension Studios.

    In Gemini Lounge, demoted detective Bobby Belucci (Hirsch) is given the opportunity to go undercover and take down the mob’s most ruthless killer, but his life and only chance at redemption spiral out of control as he loses himself in the role. Global Ascension is producing in partnership with Abeckaser’s 2B Films and Kyle Stefanski’s Wild7 Films, with Stefanski also set to appear in the feature, and Abeckaser playing Roy Demeo, the gangster the film centers around. Additional producers include Gustavo Nascimento, Jon Brewer and Sarkissian’s producing partner, Josh Macciello. Production is underway in Los Angeles, with additional filming to follow in New York.

    “We are so excited to have Lucy join the cast as our female lead, Gina. She brings incredible range and charisma and it is a really exciting role,” said Abeckaser. “This will be my second film directing Ashley and she always kills it. In this role she will showcase both a soft side and a tough side, which her fans will be excited for, especially in such a notable gangster story.”

    “My goal with Global Ascension is to create quality films that attract the top talent in the industry,” added Sarkissian, who heads up global production for the studio, “and I’m thrilled that Lucy and Ashley have joined the cast of Gemini Lounge.”

    Sarkissian partnered with CEO D.A. Chan and President Joshua Macciello to launch Global Ascension Studios following the successful release of more than 20 films, including those in the Rush Hour franchise, over a period of 30 years. As previously announced, the company will produce both live-action and animated releases for all media platforms. Sarkissian’s recent releases include The Foreigner with Jackie Chan, and The Protégé, starring Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Keaton and Maggie Q. His most recent project, Memory, starring Liam Neeson, Guy Pearce and Monica Belucci, will be released in April by Open Road Films.

    Hale is represented by ICM Partners and Reel Talent Management; Greene by Gersh, Untitled Entertainment and Gang, Tyre, Ramer; Laresca by TalentWorks and Ellen Meyer Management; Cannavale by Buchwald and Framework Entertainment; Davi by Binder & Associates, International Artists Management in the UK, and manager Orlando John in Sweden; Finley by Gersh, Luber Roklin Entertainment and Yorn, Levine, Barnes; Luke by Zero Gravity Management and Goodman, Genow, Schenkman; and Russo by Myman, Greenspan, Fox.

    Christina Ricci To Star In Netflix’s ‘Wednesday’ Series In Return To Addams Family Universe

    (3/21/22) This is the news Addams Family fans have been hoping for since the new Netflix series Wednesday was announced: Christina Ricci, the actor most closely associated with the title character, will be a major part of the live-action show from Tim Burton.

    Ricci, who starred as Wednesday Addams in the Barry Sonnenfeld-directed 1990s Addams Family feature franchise, is a series regular in Wednesday, which is headlined by Jenna Ortega in the title role, Deadline has learned.

    Details about Ricci’s role are being kept under wraps to protect the surprise for fans, but I can reveal that she plays a new character and not an older version of Wednesday.

    I hear Ricci was brought in following Thora Birch’s exit amid production. Ricci is playing a new character, who is similar to the one originally played by Birch and will replace it on the show. Ricci quietly has been working on Wednesday for weeks; filming on the MGM-produced series is slated to wrap in Romania at the end of the month.

    The coming-of-age comedy, written by Smallville creators Al Gough and Miles Millar and directed by Burton, stars Ortega as Wednesday Addams during her years at Nevermore Academy. It’s described as a sleuthing, supernaturally infused mystery.

    In addition to Ortega, Ricci stars alongside Catherine Zeta-Jones as matriarch Morticia Addams and Luis Guzmán as Gomez Addams.

    Ricci’s performance as Wednesday in the Addams Family movies is so beloved for fans of the franchise that they launched a petition when the Netflix series was announced, calling for her to be cast in the show.

    Burton executive produces Wednesday with Gough and Millar, who serve as showrunners. Also executive producing are Kayla Alpert, Steve Stark, as well as Andrew Mittman for 1.21, Kevin Miserocchi, Jonathan Glickman for Glickmania and Gail Berman.

    Ricci next will return for Season 2 of Showtime’s breakout hit Yellowjackets, in which she stars. Her recent credits also include Amazon’s Z: The Beginning of Everything, which she produced, and The Matrix: Resurrections. She is repped by ICM Partners and Untitled Entertainment.

    Critics Choice Super Awards Nominations

    (2/22/22) Winners will be revealed on Thursday, March 17. The Super Awards, which will not be telecast this year.

    BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPERHERO MOVIE*
    Gal Gadot – Zack Snyder’s Justice League
    Scarlett Johansson – Black Widow
    Florence Pugh – Black Widow
    Margot Robbie – The Suicide Squad
    Michelle Yeoh – Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
    Zendaya – Spider-Man: No Way Home

    ‘The Missing’: Karen Robinson & Michael Mosley Round Out Series Regular Cast For David E. Kelley’s Peacock Series

    (2/18/22) Schitt’s Creek alumna Karen Robinson and The Sinner alum Michael Mosley round out the series regular cast for The Missing, Peacock’s eight-episode series from David E. Kelley based on Israeli crime writer Dror A. Mishani’s international bestselling novel The Missing File. They join previously announced leads Jeff Wilbusch and Juliana Canfield in the drama series.

    Written by Kelley, who also serves as showrunner and executive producer, The Missing tells the story of Detective Avraham (Wilbusch), whose belief in mankind is his superpower when it comes to uncovering the truth. Guided by a deep sense of spirituality and religious principles, Avraham is left to question his own humanity when a seemingly routine investigation turns upside down.

    Robinson will play Captain Helen Davies, the woman in charge, a tough, no-nonsense, sometimes brusque boss who possesses a hard-won understanding of human nature, her job, and how to survive the NYPD’s bureaucracy; she has a gift for understanding and working with complex personalities like Avraham— she demands the best from them and rewards it with fierce loyalty.

    Mosley will portray Detective Earl Malzone, a veteran cop whose cutting sense of humor masks a fear that his best days are behind him (and weren’t that great to begin with). A solid family man with a wife and kids, he is dogged rather than brilliant, a good but not great investigator whose sardonic personality and teasing of Avraham masks just how much he loves his job and the people he works with.

    Executive producing alongside Kelley are Matthew Tinker, Jonathan Shapiro and Mishani as well as Keshet’s Peter Traugott, Alon Shrutzman, Avi Nir and Karni Ziv. The Missing is produced by Keshet Studios, the U.S. production arm of Keshet International, and Universal Television, a division of Universal Studios Group.

    Robinson is best known for her role Ronnie Lee in the hit comedy series Schitt’s Creek, which swept the comedy categories at the 2020 Emmy Awards and most recently won the 2021 SAG Award for Best TV Comedy Ensemble. Robinson can also be seen in recurring roles on the Netflix series Tiny Pretty Things, Titans for HBO Max, A Million Little Things for ABC, and a series regular role on the CBC buddy cop comedy Pretty Hard Cases. She’s currently shooting a lead role in the limited series Echoes for Netflix. Robinson is repped by Innovative Artists and OAZ. Mosley most recently starred in USA’s The Sinner and will next be seen in Hulu’s upcoming limited series The Girl From Plainville. He previously starred in Fox’s sci-fi thriller series Next, alongside John Slattery, opposite Regina King in the Netflix crime drama Seven Seconds and as Pastor Mason Young in Ozark. Additional TV credits include the USA Network comedy series Sirens, CBS’ Criminal Minds, ABC’s Castle and A&E’s Longmire. On the film side, Mosley’s credits include the Sundance pic Sister Aimee, LBJ and Peppermint. He is repped by Gersh and attorney Jennifer Gray at Hansen, Jacobson, Teller.

    ‘Yellowjackets’ Gets Early Renewal: Showtime’s Gary Levine On Series’ Breakout Success & Season 2 Surprises

    (12/16/21) Five episodes into Yellowjackets‘ freshman run, the survival drama has been renewed for a second season by Showtime. The series hails from creators/executive producers/co-showrunners Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson, exec producer/co-showrunner Jonathan Lisco, eOne and Drew Comins’ studio-based Creative Engine.

    Yellowjackets, featuring an all-star female cast led by Juliette Lewis, Christina Ricci and Tawny Cypress, launched to strong reviews, scoring a rare 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, and has been seen by over 4 million viewers across platforms to date. Showtime’s President of Entertainment Gary Levine called it “an unadulterated sensation” and “a hotshot out of a cannon.”

    “It’s done extremely well in terms of streaming subscriptions,” Levine told Deadline. “It was our second biggest series debut ever on streaming, and it’s grown each week on streaming by double digit percentages. In terms of acclaim, in terms of buzz – no pun intended — and in terms of hard numbers, this show has just exploded. For it to be embraced as quickly and as deeply as it was by both audiences and critics alike, that’s a little like catching lightning in a bottle — you can never anticipate that but boy, it’s awfully sweet when it rarely happens.”

    Yellowjackets’ streaming debut was second only to the return of Showtime’s signature drama Dexter with the limited series Dexter: New Blood.

    Linear viewing is far less relevant in the multi-platform universe (Yellowjackets has been drawing modest Live+Same Day linear audiences but even there the show just hit a series high with its most recent episode, 295,000 viewers.) Still, putting Yellowjackets behind Dexter: New Blood likely helped the newbie to be discovered by audiences quickly.

    Cancellations/Renewals Scorecard: TV Shows Ended Or Continuing In 2020-21 Season

    “While they are very different shows, we felt that both the strength and some of the tonalities of Dexter would be a great launching pad for Yellowjackets and it seems to have been borne out,” Levine said. “Dexter is a dark and violent show but it’s also a witty, funny show, it’s also a family drama, and Yellowjackets has some of the same mix of tones.”

    With Yellowjackets being renewed, is there a pickup in the cards for its companion, Dexter: New Blood?

    “Dexter is a limited series and any further discussions of Dexter will have to wait until we finish airing the limited series and see where we are with our stories and our characters,” Levine said. “Dexter was really designed to have a proper conclusion to the series, and I believe we will deliver that in the best possible way.”

    Yellowjackets also brought back female audiences, which Showtime previously attracted with long-running hit Shameless.

    “I think in terms of the breadth of audience and its audience demographics, it probably is closest to Shameless in terms of its reach,” Levine said. “It’s probably no accident that both had characters in their teens and adult years. But I also think tone, there is an audacity and irreverence to both of those shows that I think has some inherent appeal to a broader range of demographics.”

    The creative team of Yellowjackets just finished editing the Season 1 finale, slated to air Jan. 16, last week.

    “We have not heard the pitch for Season 2, the writers room has not even come together yet, they are going to come together in January,” Levine said. “I’m sure Ashley, Bart and Jonathan have some loose ideas but they hadn’t fleshed out their ideas and they certainly haven’t conveyed them to us.”

    Still, “I do know that there will be some surprises in terms of the characters,” Levine said. “There are still lots of questions about who survived, what happened out there. There will be some real surprises in terms of that and I think some characters you may not even have met yet.”

    Levine, who recalled how the Yellowjackets pitch struck a chord with him and his team to a point where he couldn’t remember whether the story was fictional or based on real events. “That’s how real the pitch felt,” he said.

    Facing Prime Video’s similarly themed (on paper) The Wilds, Yellowjackets sailed through the development process, with both shows, which turned out very differently, doing well.

    As for what Yellowjackets’ success speaks to, “I think what it says is, in this time of reboots, comic books and procedurals, there is a real hunger for originality,” Levine said. “It’s such a unique concept, and also the fact that it’s all women and showing of all sides of women: they are athletes, they are hunter-gatherers, they are cheaters, they are killers, and yet there is sisterhood and there is competition.”

    Equal parts survival epic, psychological horror story and coming-of-age drama, Yellowjackets is the saga of a team of wildly talented high school girls soccer players who become the (un)lucky survivors of a plane crash deep in the remote northern wilderness. The series chronicles their descent from a complicated but thriving team to savage clans, while also tracking the lives they’ve attempted to piece back together nearly 25 years later, proving that the past is never really past and what began out in the wilderness is far from over. Season one also stars Ella Purnell, Samantha Hanratty, Sophie Thatcher, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Sophie Nélisse, Steven Krueger and Warren Kole. Karyn Kusama directed and executive produced the pilot.

    “We are beyond grateful for the incredible support we’ve received for this show — both from Gary Levine, Jana Winograde, David Nevins, Amy Israel, Dave Binegar, and the rest of the fantastic Showtime team, and from our growing team of “Citizen Detectives” at home,” said Lyle, Nickerson and Lisco. “We can’t wait to continue telling this story with our amazing cast and crew. The saga continues!”

    Christina Ricci gives birth to first child with husband Mark Hampton

    (12/8/21) Congratulations are in order for Christina Ricci, who has welcomed her first child with Mark Hampton.

    The Emmy nominee, 41, who is already a mom to son Freddie, 7, with her ex James Heerdegen, announced the happy news on Wednesday.

    “Baby Cleo is here we are so in love with her also she has the most incredible dad imaginable,” Ricci captioned an Instagram video of the newborn napping in a pink beanie.

    Her hairstylist beau — whom she married in October — also shared an adorable snap of baby Cleopatra Ricci Hampton.

    “My heart has exploded. @riccigrams and baby Cleo are doing fantastic, we’re all resting after such an eventful morning… welcome to the world baby Cleopatra Ricci Hampton,” he captioned an Instagram post.

    “What a truly emotional morning, never cried as much.”

    Ricci first revealed she was expecting her second child when she shared an ultrasound image in August. “Life keeps getting better,” she wrote at the time.

    The “Addams Family” actress previously opened up about being a hands-on mom to her son Freddie.

    “Usually when I’m off, I’m with my son,” she told People in December. “When I’m not working, I try to be as full-time with him as I can be. Taking him to his play dates and nursery school.”

    She was granted full custody of her little boy in April, after her highly contentious split from Heerdegen.

    She filed a restraining order against her cinematographer ex following an alleged domestic battery incident, however, he still has visitation rights.

    Christina Ricci Joins Cyberpunk Pic ‘The Dresden Sun’ From Director Michael Ryan

    (11/23/21) Christina Ricci (The Matrix Resurrections, Yellowjackets) has signed on to play a supporting role in The Dresden Sun, a cyberpunk indie from writer-director Michael Ryan (Interpreters: a C & Earth Chronicle – quantum 1, The Silencer & the Sky), which also stars Samantha Win.

    The film observes as a heist goes south when a brilliant, principled mercenary with a traumatic past works with an insider to steal a valued asset from Peredor Corporation called “the sphere.” The C & Earth corporation, vying for global dominance, seeks to find a solution to an otherworldly technology via a scientist’s project. Meanwhile, a financial analyst, who despises his job at the powerful investment firm Mutual One, finds himself caught between deadly corporate rivals, financial fraud, and technological espionage, and is ultimately forced to run from a psychopathic military contractor.

    Ricci will play Dr. Dresden Corliss, an inventor of a cosmic technology, who grieves over the death of a loved one. Michael Ryan and Tyler Lockamy are producing via their Archetype Pictures banner, with Neely Gurman handling casting.

    Ricci currently stars in the critically acclaimed Showtime series Yellowjackets, and will next be seen in Lana Wachowski’s The Matrix Resurrections, which is hitting theaters and HBO Max on December 22. The veteran actress has previously starred on the TV side in Amazon’s Z: The Beginning of Everything, The Lizzie Borden Chronicles, Pan Am and more. She’s appeared on the film side in such titles as Black Snake Moan, Monster, Sleepy Hollow, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, The Ice Storm, Casper, and Barry Sonnenfeld’s 1991 adaptation of The Addams Family.

    Ricci is represented by ICM, Untitled Entertainment, and attorney Jamie Afifi.

    People’s Choice Awards Nominations

    (10/27/21) The event takes place on Tuesday, December 7 at 9 p.m. ET/PT from the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica. E! will kick off the night with a red carpet special at 7 p.m. ET/PT.

    Voting for the 40 categories runs today through Wednesday, November 17 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Fans can vote online or on Twitter.

    THE FEMALE MOVIE STAR OF 2021
    1 Awkwafina, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
    2 Charlize Theron, F9: The Fast Saga
    3 Florence Pugh, Black Widow
    4 Jennifer Hudson, Respect
    5 Leslie Jones, Coming 2 America
    6 Margot Robbie, The Suicide Squad
    7 Salma Hayek, Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard
    8 Scarlett Johansson, Black Widow

    Christina Ricci marries for second time

    (10/10/21) Christina Ricci has married Mark Hampton, the father of her second child.

    The Sleepy Hollow star revealed she and her hairstylist beau had tied the knot by posting photos from their low-key wedding ceremony on Instagram.

    Ricci wrote “Mr. and Mrs.” alongside two snaps of the newlyweds, both wearing white, button-down shirts.

    The news comes two months after Ricci revealed she was expecting her second child with Hampton.

    The actress, who shares seven-year-old Freddie with former husband James Heerdegen, shared a photo of her sonogram on Instagram with the caption: “Life keeps getting better.”

    Ricci filed for divorce from film producer James, who she wed, a year ago, following an alleged domestic battery incident.

    Six months later, she was granted a domestic violence restraining order against her estranged husband.

    ‘The Girl From Plainville’: Peter Gerety, Michael Mosley Among Six Set As Recurring For Hulu Limited Series

    (10/2/21) Hulu expands its cast for The Girl From Plainville with the addition of Peter Gerety (City On A Hill), Michael Mosley (Titans), Ella Kennedy Davis (Perry Mason), Pearl Amanda Dickson (Legion), Kylie Liya Page (Girl in the Woods) and Jeff Wahlberg (Dora and the Lost City of Gold). They will appear opposite stars Elle Fanning, Colton Ryan, Kai Lennox, Cara Buono, Chloë Sevigny and Norbert Leo Butz. The limited series comes from Liz Hannah and Dr. Death exeutive producer Patrick Macmanus and UCP, a division of Universal Studio Group.

    Written by Hannah and Macmanus, The Girl From Plainville is inspired by the true story of Michelle Carter’s controversial “texting-suicide” case. Based off the Esquire article of the same name by Jesse Barron, the limited series will explore Carter’s (Fanning) relationship with Conrad Roy III (Ryan) and the events that led to his death and, later, her controversial conviction of involuntary manslaughter.

    From UCP, a division of Universal Studio Group, the Hulu Original limited series is written and executive produced by co-showrunners Liz Hannah and Patrick Macmanus, and also executive produced by Fanning and Echo Lake’s Brittany Kahan Ward. Consulting producers include Barron and Erin Lee Carr. Kelly Funke will oversee for Macmanus’ Littleton Road Productions.

    Emmy-winning screenwriter and director Lisa Cholodenko, Zetna Fuentes, Pippa Bianco and Liz Hannah will direct.

    Gerety joins as Conrad Roy, Sr., is the patriarch of the Roy family. An old school type of father, his discipline and expectations have been passed down through the generations. As the series goes on, we watch as he struggles to rectify his hard standards and the way in which it may have impacted his family.

    Mosley joins the cast as Joseph Cataldo. He is the attorney representing Michelle Carter. He has built a “name for himself” representing everybody from high school DUI’s to players on the New England Patriots, and he reminds everyone of that every chance he gets.

    Davis will appear as Sydney Roy, Coco’s younger sister. Sydney and Coco are as close as siblings can be and Coco’s suicide seriously affects Sydney.

    Dickson will play Susie Pierce, who meets Michelle at a softball tournament. Susie struggles with being an outsider in her school like Michelle and the pair bond on a deep level.

    Page joins as Cassie Wilkins, she is a “friend” from Michelle’s school, though she doesn’t particularly want to be. Cassie thinks she’s a bit of a “try-hard.” Ultimately, Cassie testifies against Michelle in court.

    Lastly, Wahlberg will play Rob Mahoney, Coco’s closest friend. A year ahead of Coco in school, he tries to shrug off the pain he is feeling after the death of his friend and is the first in Coco’s circle to deal with some of Michelle’s manipulative ways.

    Gerety is represented by Paradigm and Authentic Talent & Literary Management. Mosely is repped by Gersh and Persona. Davis’ reps are Paradigm. Dickson is represented by APA, Alchemy Entertainment and Viewpoint. Page is represented by Paradigm. Wahlberg is represented by Leverage Management.

    ‘The Sinner’: Release Date For Season 4 & Trailer Revealed

    (9/1/21) (Video) (USA Only) Season 4 of USA Network’s hit The Sinner will return with an all-new mystery on Wed., Oct. 13 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. Season 4 will include eight episodes featuring Bill Pullman, Jessica Hecht, Frances Fisher, Alice Kremelberg, Neal Huff, Cindy Cheung, Ronin Wong, and Michael Mosley.

    Still reeling from the trauma of a previous case a year ago, the now-retired Harry Ambrose (Pullman) travels to Hanover Island in northern Maine for a recuperative getaway with his partner, Sonya (Hecht). When an unexpected tragedy occurs involving the daughter of a prominent island family, Ambrose is recruited to help the investigation, only to be thrown into a mystery of mounting paranoia that will turn this sleepy tourist island, and Ambrose’s life, upside down.

    From UCP, a division of Universal Studio Group, Derek Simonds serves as showrunner and executive producer, alongside executive producers Jessica Biel and Michelle Purple through their production company, Iron Ocean. Charlie Gogolak, Adam Bernstein, and Nina Braddock also serve as executive producers.

    Watch the trailer in full above.

    ‘Yellowjackets’: Showtime Survival Drama Starring Juliette Lewis, Christina Ricci Gets Premiere Date & Trailer

    (8/24/21) (Video) Trauma extends far beyond the fight for survival in the trailer for Showtime’s Yellowjackets, starring Melanie Lynskey, Juliette Lewis, Christina Ricci and Tawny Cypress.

    During its TCA presentation, Showtime unveiled the first look at Yellowjackets. Written by Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson, the series is a saga of a team of wildly talented high school girls soccer players who become the (un)lucky survivors of a plane crash deep in the remote northern wilderness. The series chronicles their descent from a complicated but thriving team to savage clans, while also tracking the lives they’ve attempted to piece back together nearly 25 years later, proving that the past is never really past and what began out in the wilderness is far from over. “I used to think all the sex, the drinking, the drugs – I used to think I did those things because of what happened out there. What I saw, what I did,” Lewis’ Natalie recalls in the trailer.

    A pact of secrecy, disturbing images of survival and rising tensions fill the teaser as the girls’ past catches up to them.

    Showtime also unveiled that Yellowjackets will debut Sunday, November 14 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. The series also features Ella Purnell, Samantha Hanratty, Sophie Thatcher, Sophie Nélisse, Steven Krueger, Jasmin Savoy Brown and Warren Kole.

    Yellowjackets is for Showtime by Entertainment One (eOne). Jonathan Lisco joins Lyle and Nickerson as executive producer and showrunning partner. Karyn Kusama executive produces and directed the pilot. Drew Comins of Creative Engine also serves as executive producer.

    Watch the trailer above.

    Christina Ricci I'm Pregnant!!! After Nasty Divorce

    (8/10/21) Christina Ricci is getting ready to welcome a little bundle of joy, and the timing of her pregnancy announcement is interesting ... as it comes immediately on the heels of her finishing up a nasty divorce.

    The "Casper" and 'Addams Family' star shared a photo of her ultrasound Tuesday ... and the image makes it seem like she's pretty far along. Disclaimer: we're not doctors.

    Christina's clearly thrilled to be expecting her second child ... saying, "Life keeps getting better."

    What she didn't say -- not that she has to, either -- is who the expectant daddy is.

    We're not at all connecting any dots here, but Christina's hairstylist Mark Hampton also posted images of her ultrasound with the same caption she did. Could just be a very supportive friend.

    Anyway, the pregnancy comes after Christina filed to divorce film producer James Heerdegen after nearly 7 years of marriage, and their split was contentious.

    TMZ broke the story ... Christina got a domestic violence restraining order against Heerdegen after filing divorce docs ... claiming he beat her and terrorized her during the COVID lockdown.

    A judge signed off on Christina's divorce last month, officially making her a single woman ... and with her pregnancy, things are looking up for her again.

    Joel David Moore To Direct & Produce ‘Some Other Woman’ Film Starring Amanda Crew, Tom Felton And Ashley Greene Khoury

    (7/21/21) Avatar actor Joel David Moore is set to direct and produce Some Other Woman, a film starring Amanda Crew (Silicon Valley), Tom Felton (Harry Potter franchise) and Ashley Greene Khoury (Twilight franchise).

    Crew, Felton and Khoury will appear alongside Brooke Lyons (Paradise City) and former NBA player Rick Fox (Greenleaf).

    Some Other Woman is a psychological thriller following Eve Carver (Crew), a woman whisked away to a tropical island by her husband’s work for what was only supposed to be a few months. But as the months turn to years, Eve is forced to give up her own dreams as the island fever grows stronger and stronger. Reality begins to unravel around her as she encounters a strange woman (Greene) who begins taking over her life, piece by piece.

    Josh Long and Angela Gulner & Yuri Baranovsky wrote the script. Moore will produce alongside Productivity Media’s William G. Santor & Doug Murray, Balcony 9 Productions’ Max Osswald, and Jason Jallet. Productivity Media’s Andrew Chang-Sang and John Hills will exec produce, alongside Balcony 9 President Rishi Bajaj. Mimi Steinbauer’s Radiant Films International is handling global sales.

    Some Other Woman is the fourth film shot in the Cayman Islands by Productivity Media and its production partners, as part of a multi-film production deal with the Islands’ Film Commission, the Cayman’s Ministry of International Trade, Investment, Aviation and Maritime Affairs, and Dart Enterprises. Productivity produced the first three in concert with Darius Films.

    “This has been an incredible ride for all who were involved in the four pictures here on Cayman Islands,” said Moore. “I can’t wait to dive into the universal and important themes within Some Other Woman, while shooting on the breathtaking scenery and infrastructure. It is truly an honor to be a part of what William Santor and PMI have done in the midst of unprecedented circumstances.”

    “Our previous collaborations with the extremely talented Joel have proven incredibly successful, so we have no doubt that he is the perfect choice to helm this gripping thriller,” added Productivity Media CEO William G. Santor. “Coupled with a stellar cast who have led some of the biggest franchises in the world, and an idyllic location that continues to set the bar for Covid-safe production, we feel we have an incredible project on our hands. The Cayman Islands Government continues to be thorough and complete supporters and we are thrilled to continue this important alliance.”

    In the coming years, Moore will appear as an actor in four more Avatar films, among other projects, reprising the role of Norm Spellman. He has previously directed features including Youth in Oregon (2016) and Spiral (2007).

    Moore founded Balcony 9 Productions with Rishi Bajaj in 2019, to develop content across film, TV and podcasting. The company has a first-look deal with Productivity Media Inc. Its slate of projects includes The Immaculate Room, starring Kate Bosworth and Emile Hirsch; Paint, starring Owen Wilson and Wendi McLendon-Covey; Speed Girl with Hilary Swank, and Stefan Vs. Isis, among others.

    Moore and Balcony 9 Productions are represented by Management 360.

    Amanda Crew is repped by UTA and Play Management; Tom Felton is repped by Accelerate Management, Gersh and 360 Management; Ashley Greene Khoury is repped by Gersh and Untitled Entertainment; Brooke Lyons is with Vault Entertainment; Rick Fox is with Stone Village Management.

    Christina Ricci Will Be In ‘The Matrix 4’

    (6/6/21) Christina Ricci is set to be in Lana Wachowski’s upcoming The Matrix 4.

    In an updated press kit from Warner Bros., Ricci’s name was quietly added to the star-studded cast list. Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Jonathan Groff, Neil Patrick Harris, Jessica Henwick, Christina Ricci, Telma Hopkins, Eréndira Ibarra, Toby Onwumere, Max Riemelt, Brian J. Smith, and Jada Pinkett Smith round out the cast.

    Ricci has previously worked with Lana in 2008 on the Wachowski’s Speed Racer. The movie was based on the novel of the same name by author Tatsuo Yoshida. The futuristic sports action comedy film also featured Emile Hirsch, John Goodman and Susan Sarandon.

    The fourth Matrix is scheduled to premiere in theaters Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2021, instead of April 1, 2022.

    The Matrix 4 is written by Lana Wachowski, David Mitchell and Aleksander Hemon based on characters created by The Wachowskis. Lana Wachowski, Grant Hill and James McTeigue are the producers with Terry Needham, Garrett Grant and Bruce Berman executive producing.

    ‘The Sinner’: Michael Mosley Joins Season 4 As New Series Regular

    (4/21/21) Michael Mosley (Ozark) is set as a series regular in the upcoming fourth season of USA Network’s crime anthology series The Sinner, starring Bill Pullman.

    In Season 4, still reeling from the trauma of a previous case a year ago, the now-retired Harry Ambrose (Pullman) travels to Hanover Island in Northern Maine for a recuperative getaway with his partner, Sonya (Jessica Hecht). When an unexpected tragedy occurs involving the daughter of a prominent island family, Ambrose is recruited to help the investigation, only to be thrown into a mystery of mounting paranoia that will turn this sleepy tourist island, and Ambrose’s life, upside down. Mosley will play Colin Muldoon, a rugged lobsterman and the devoted son of Meg Muldoon. Colin helped raise his niece, Percy (Alice Kremelberg), and will do anything to protect his family.

    Derek Simonds returns as showrunner and executive producer, alongside executive producers Jessica Biel, Michelle Purple, Charlie Gogolak and Adam Bernstein. Production is scheduled to began late this month in Nova Scotia, Canada, for a premiere later this year. UCP is the studio.

    Mosley most recently starred in Fox’s sci-fi thriller series Next, alongside John Slattery. He also starred opposite Regina King in the Netflix crime drama Seven Seconds and as Pastor Mason Young in Ozark. Additional TV credits include starring in the USA Network comedy series Sirens, CBS’ Criminal Minds, ABC’s Castle and A&E’s Longmire. On the film side, Mosley’s credits include the Sundance pic Sister Aimee, LBJ and Peppermint. He is repped by Gersh.

    ‘Cinema Toast’ Anthology Series From Jeff Baena & Duplass Brothers To Stream On Showtime

    (4/12/21) Showtime has ordered a new anthology series, Cinema Toast, created by Jeff Baena (The Little Hours) and produced by the Duplass Brothers (Room 104), set to stream later this month. The series is described as a post-modernist reinvention of older movies that turns pre-existing imagery from the public domain on its head to tell new unique stories. All 10 episodes of Cinema Toast will premiere on Showtime’s on-demand streaming and partner platforms on Tuesday, April 20.

    Directors of the series include Baena, Jay Duplass, Mel Eslyn, Alex Ross Perry, Marta Cunningham, Aubrey Plaza, Numa Perrier, Jordan Firstman, Kris Rey and David Lowery. The episodes are voiced by actors including Alison Brie, Nick Offerman, Fred Armisen, John Early, Christina Ricci, Megan Mullally, Chloe Fineman and Chris Meloni.

    “When the pandemic first hit and all paths to traditional production seemed unlikely at best, I racked my brain to find a way to still create,” said Baena. “That’s when the idea hit me to re-dub and re-shape old material into something transcendent that extends beyond just a comedic curio.”

    Cinema Toast features stories spanning genres including drama, horror and comedy. Per Showtime, Plaza’s psychological thriller “Quiet Illness” pieces together footage of Loretta Young to create a portrait of an emotionally tortured modern woman, while Cunningham’s “Attack of the Karens” shows just how timely the classic Night of the Living Dead is when re-contextualized within this last year in America. In “After the End,” Eslyn injects the beloved monster movie Beast from Haunted Cave with a mumblecore comedy sensibility. And with “Report on the Canine Auto-Mechanical Soviet Threat,” Perry creates a surreal journey from Soviet rarities about a young boy who is immersed in a new reality inhabited by talking cars and telepathic dogs.

    Cinema Toast is produced by Duplass Brothers Productions. The series is executive produced by Jay Duplass, Mark Duplass, Mel Eslyn, Jeff Baena and Tyler Romary. Shuli Harel also serves as producer.

    Christina Ricci strikes custody agreement with estranged husband

    (4/6/21) Christina Ricci may be acting in a new project, but she’s putting her role as mom first amid her contentious divorce.

    The actress and her estranged husband, cinematographer James Heerdegen, submitted a new custody arrangement for their 6-year-old son, Frederick “Freddie” Heerdegen, to the court last month, with a judge signing off on it last week, per Los Angeles County Superior Court documents obtained by Page Six on Tuesday.

    The new order — which favors Ricci — comes in the midst of the pair’s heated divorce, which saw Ricci and Heerdegen both seek restraining orders against each other and make claims of domestic abuse.

    The agreement was made as Ricci, 41, is planning to relocate to Vancouver to begin filming on a project later this month. It is unclear what role will be taken on in Canada, but it was announced last month that she is set to star in thriller-flick “Monstrous.”

    Freddie will live in Vancouver with Ricci, the agreement states, with Heerdegen getting visitation rights. Ricci agreed to pay Heerdegen’s “reasonable costs for travel and accommodations,” which include “economy airfare.”

    Ricci will also select the hotel where Heerdegen says — although it is unclear if it has anything to do with the restraining order she was granted against Heerdegen in January. Heerdegen also sought a restraining order against Ricci the same month, but his request was denied.

    Ricci and Heerdegen married in 2013, but the “Addams Family” star filed for divorce in July 2020 following an alleged domestic battery incident at their home where she sought an emergency restraining order.

    As part of their new agreement, Ricci will have sole legal custody of Freddie and will facilitate 15-minute FaceTime calls three times per week with Heerdegen when he is not able to be in Canada. However, if he “engaged in any inappropriate communication” with Freddie — which includes discussing their ongoing divorce — the call will be terminated.

    The agreement also mandates that all of Heerdegen’s visits with Freddie be supervised and “after four weeks,” he and Ricci will discuss the “appropriateness of expanded visitation and/or overnights.”

    Heerdegen also acknowledged in the agreement that he would not interfere with Ricci’s work contract.

    A representative for Ricci didn’t immediately get back to us.

    Heerdegen’s attorney didn’t return our request for comment.

    Christina Ricci Starring In Thriller ‘Monstrous’

    (3/5/21) Christina Ricci will lead the cast of Monstrous, the supernatural thriller that Screen Media and Film Mode Entertainment have pacted to acquire rights on. Ricci will star with Colleen Camp. Chris Sivertson is directing from a script by Carol Chrest. The story centers on a traumatized woman fleeing from her abusive ex-husband with her 7-year-old son. In their new, remote sanctuary they find they have a bigger, more terrifying monster to deal with. Robert Yocum, Sasha Yelaun and B.I. Rosen are producing alongside Johnny Remo. Screen Media is acquiring the world outside of North America, UK, Japan and Middle East, and Film Mode is handling international sales in partnership with Screen Media. High Octane has acquired Middle East, North Africa and Japan.

    Christina Ricci Husband Claims She's the Abuser But Judge Denies Him Restraining Order

    (1/23/21) Christina Ricci's husband agrees quarantine's been a dangerous time in their household, except he claims she is the one who's the abuser.

    James Heerdegen filed Friday to get a restraining order against the actress, claiming alcohol and substance abuse is fueling her allegedly abusive conduct.

    In his court filing, James claims Christina was boozing hard during quarantine and would routinely abuse him physically and verbally while she was intoxicated. He says she would often hit and scratch him with her arms, hands and nails.

    According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Heerdegen also claims Christina would habitually follow him around their home, screaming and yelling profanities at him in front of their son. He says her alleged outbursts are causing their child emotional distress.

    James says Christina attacked him back in October 2019, claiming she grabbed his throat while he was on the toilet. He says she "squeezed and pushed on my throat with her left hand using her right hand to gain leverage by propping it up against the doorframe" ... according to the docs.

    Heerdegen's filing comes 48 hours after Christina was granted a restraining order against him, claiming he'd beaten her multiple times and she now fears for her life and their son's. She filed to divorce him in July.

    In his docs, James claims Christina filed false domestic violence allegations against him to "leverage" her control over their son and prevent Heerdegen from seeing the kid. He also claims she filed a false police report.

    James says Christina was sober during her pregnancy but claims she started abusing alcohol and pills when she began breastfeeding, and things got to the point where he was throwing out some of her breast milk for fear of alcohol polluting the milk ... according to the docs.

    Christina's attorney, Samantha Spector, tells TMZ ... "This filing is nothing more than a transparently abusive attempt to silence my client. It will not work. Christina will not be intimidated by Mr. Heerdegen and his barrage of misleading claims – and she remains determined to protect her family."

    The judge has not yet ruled on Heerdegen's request to restrain Christina.

    Update 11:44 AM PT -- Christina's legal team was also in court Friday to file an opposition to Heerdegen's request for a restraining order. In the docs, obtained by TMZ, she says there is "overwhelming evidence" that he is the abusive one -- even beyond the photos she already filed with the court.

    She says she has an audio recording from his alleged attack on her on June 25, 2020. According to the docs, James can be heard "terrorizing Christina, spitting and screaming at her, admitting to violence, following her from room to room, chasing her and then violently assaulting her." She says the recording ends abruptly with her in tears, saying she's going to call the police.

    Update 4:31 PM PT -- The judge rejected Heerdegen's request for a restraining order against Christina. The judge said there was no basis for an emergency order before their next court hearing in March.

    This means Heerdegen must stay away from Christina and their son at least until then ... under the terms of her restraining order against him.

    Christina Ricci Claims Husband's Abused Her in Lockdown ... Gets Restraining Order

    (1/20/21) (Photos: Christina Ricci Injuries) Christina Ricci says quarantine's been a dangerous time in her household, because her husband's allegedly beaten her multiple times, and now she fears for her life and their son's.

    The actress filed Wednesday to get a restraining order against James Heerdegen, who she claims started abusing her in December 2019. In her court filing, Christina claims he beat her, spit at her and made pig noises in her face. She says that incident, during which she suffered multiple bruises, convinced her she needed to leave him.

    Christina says she told James she wanted a divorce, but that was derailed when the COVID-19 quarantine began in March, and she "found herself trapped in a house with a violent abuser."

    In docs, she claims Heerdegen attacked her twice in June, while still in lockdown ... chasing her around the house, trying to prevent her from calling 911 after an argument. He allegedly dragged her by her wrists into their yard and threw her into a fire pit ... leaving her cut and bruised.

    During the second attack, she claims he spit on her and threw coffee and a chair at her -- all while their 6-year-old son was watching.

    Christina filed several photos with the court, showing injuries she claims to have suffered at Heerdegen's hands.

    Christina filed to divorce him after those alleged incidents, and her attorney, Samantha Spector, was in court Wednesday to file the restraining order.

    According to those docs, obtained by TMZ, Christina also fears Heerdegen's abuse could turn deadly. During a car ride in late 2019, she claims James "said something that made me think that [he] could kill me. He said the only way he could feel sorry for me is if I were dismembered into small pieces."

    Christina says she immediately hid all the knives in the cabin where they were vacationing.

    Late Wednesday, the judge granted a domestic violence restraining order ... which requires Heerdegen to stay 100 yards away from Christina and their son, and have no contact with them.

    Christina claims Heerdegen leaves the dog leashed to his living room coffee table when he has visitation with their son -- and under the terms of the restraining order he has to stay away from the dog too.

    Although he's already moved out, Christina wants a formal court order blocking James from returning.

    And, there's this ... Christina is afraid her estranged husband -- who she married in 2013 -- will release private audio and video of her to "humiliate and embarrass" her, or use it to extort her. She wants the court to block him from releasing it, and force him to turn it over.

    Heerdegen's attorney, Larry Bakman, tells TMZ they will file for their own restraining order against Christina "detailing her abusive conduct fueled by alcohol and substance abuse. His papers will also include documentation that Ms. Ricci advised law enforcement in December 2019 that there had been no prior incidents of domestic violence between the couple, thereby calling into question her credibility."

    He also says his client "unequivocally denies all allegations of abuse made by Ms. Ricci as having occurred in 2020."

    Showtime Picks Up ‘Yellowjackets’ Survival Drama To Series With Jonathan Lisco Joining As EP

    (12/17/20) Showtime has given a series order to drama pilot Yellowjackets, from writers Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson, Entertainment One and studio-based producer Drew Comins. Jonathan Lisco (Animal Kingdom, Halt and Catch Fire) has come on board as executive producer and co-showrunner alongside creators/executive producers Lyle and Nickerson on the series, which stars Melanie Lynskey, Juliette Lewis, Christina Ricci and Tawny Cypress. Production will start early next year in Vancouver for a 2021 debut on the network.

    Equal parts survival epic, psychological horror story and coming-of-age drama, Yellowjackets is the saga of a team of wildly talented high school female soccer players who become the (un)lucky survivors of a plane crash deep in the remote northern wilderness. The series chronicles their descent from a complicated but thriving team to savage clans, while also tracking the lives they’ve attempted to piece back together nearly 25 years later, proving that the past is never really past and what began out in the wilderness is far from over.

    Ella Purnell, Sammi Hanratty, Sophie Thatcher, Sophie Nélisse, Steven Krueger and Jasmin Savoy Brown also star in Yellowjackets, described tonally as Big Little Lies meets Lord of the Flies.

    Karyn Kusama, who directed the pilot, executive produces alongside Comins of Creative Engine. eOne is the studio.

    Yellowjackets landed at Showtime for development in 2018 in a competitive situation and was picked up to pilot a year later. The project was an original idea by Lyle and Nickerson, which was pursued by multiple producers, with the duo ultimately partnering with Comins via his deal at eOne.

    “Yellowjackets is a genre-bending, riveting story told across time periods, exploring the journeys of these women at two of the most formative times in their lives,” said Jana Winograde, President of Entertainment, Showtime Networks. “We have an unbelievable cast, led by Juliette, Christina, Melanie and Tawny, in a series that’s going to leave you on the edge of your seat with every episode.”

    Early on, Yellowjackets was on a parallel development track to Amazon’s YA drama The Wilds, about teen girls stranded on a deserted island after their plane crashes. Both shot pilots and were picked up to series; The Wilds just premiered on Prime Video.

    Emma Stone Exits Damien Chazelle’s ‘Babylon’; Margot Robbie In Early Talks To Reunite With Brad Pitt In Period Hollywood Drama

    (12/2/20) In a major development on Babylon, Emma Stone won’t be reuniting after all with La La Land director Damien Chazelle. But the picture remains on strong footing: Margot Robbie is in early talks to have a re-team in this film with Brad Pitt, her Once Upon a Time in Hollywood co-star.

    Sources said Stone is exiting the film for scheduling reasons, and that Paramount Pictures and Chazelle are right now in early discussions with Robbie to take the female lead role.

    The film is a period, R-rated drama, set in the shifting moment in Hollywood when the industry turned from silent film to talkies. When Paramount acquired the picture in late 2019, it set a Christmas Day 2021 awards-qualifying release, with a wide berth January 7. This was before the pandemic and obviously subject to change because the expectation is it will shoot at least in part in Los Angeles. The film will be produced by Olivia Hamilton, Matt Plouffe, Marc Platt and Tobey Maguire.

    The project was shopped just after Netflix greenlit another golden-era Hollywood film in Mank. The David Fincher-directed drama from a script written by his father Howard Fincher about Citizen Kane screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz has emerged as an awards-season frontrunner, with Gary Oldman playing the scribe. Babylon has the same kind of auteur heft to it.

    Robbie, who is repped by CAA, Management 360 and Aran Michael Management, has a lot of momentum coming off Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Bombshell and Birds of Prey. She has upcoming the James Gunn-directed Suicide Squad 2, and her Lucky Chap produced the Oscar season film Promising Young Woman. She starts production in January on the David O Russell film alongside Christian Bale and John David Washington, and is developing Barbie as a star vehicle and is in production on Maid, the Netflix limited series she’s exec producing.

    Nominations For Inaugural Critics Choice Super Awards

    (11/19/20) The show airs Sunday, January 10, 2021 on the CW as a two-hour special at 8 pm ET/PT.

    BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPERHERO MOVIE
    Kiki Layne – The Old Guard (Netflix)
    Peyton Elizabeth Lee – Secret Society of Second-Born Royals (Disney+)
    Margot Robbie – Birds of Prey (Warner Bros)
    Jurnee Smollett – Birds of Prey (Warner Bros)
    Charlize Theron – The Old Guard (Netflix).

    ‘Filthy Rich’ & ‘NeXt’ Canceled At Fox

    (10/30/20) Filthy Rich and NeXt are both ending after one season on Fox, Deadline has confirmed.

    The network will not renew either series for a second season, although both shows will see out their current runs. Low ratings – both shows are averaging a 0.5/3 in the 18-49 demo – and uncertainty are behind the cancellation of the series, which were both originally intended for summer runs.

    NeXt has aired three episodes of its ten episode order, while Filthy Rich has aired five episodes of its ten-episode run.

    Created by Tate Taylor, Filthy Rich stars Sex and the City alumna Cattrall as Margaret Monreaux, the matriarch of a mega-rich Southern family famous for creating a wildly successful Christian television network. After her husband dies in a plane crash, Margaret and family are stunned to learn that he fathered three illegitimate children, all of whom are written into his will — threatening their family name and fortune. Melia Kreiling, Aubrey Dollar, Corey Cott, Benjamin Levy Aguilar, Mark L. Young and Olivia Macklin co-star along with Steve Harris and Aaron Lazar.

    Filthy Rich writer-director Taylor executive produces the series from 20th Century Fox Television, Imagine Television and Fox Entertainment alongside Brian Grazer, Francie Calfo, John Norris and showrunner Abe Sylvia. Cattrall is a producer.

    Meanwhile, NeXt is a John Slattery-fronted AI thriller that comes from creator and executive producer Manny Coto (24: Legacy) and executive producers and directors John Requa and Glenn Ficarra (This Is Us).

    A fact-based thriller about the emergence of a deadly, rogue artificial intelligence that combines action with an examination of how technology is invading our lives and transforming us in ways we don’t yet understand.

    Mad Men alum Slattery stars as a Silicon Valley pioneer, who discovers that one of his own creations – a powerful A.I. – might spell global catastrophe, and teams up with a cybercrime agent, played by The First’s Fernanda Andrade, to fight a villain.

    The series also stars Michael Mosley (Ozark), Jason Butler Harner (Ozark), Eve Harlow (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Aaron Moten (Mozart in the Jungle), Gerardo Celasco (How to Get Away with Murder), Elizabeth Cappuccino (Jessica Jones) and Evan Whitten (The Resident).

    20th Century Fox Television is the studio.

    John David Washington Joins Christian Bale & Margot Robbie In David O Russell Film For New Regency

    (10/10/20) John David Washington has been set to star with Christian Bale and Margot Robbie in David O. Russell’s new film for New Regency. The pic doesn’t have a title or a logline, but Deadline can reveal it will shoot in Los Angeles in January.

    Three-time Oscar winning cinematographer Emmanuel “Chivo” Lubezki also is aboard. The project is based on an original idea from the multihyphenate writer-director-producer. New Regency will produce, and Matthew Budman will also produce. The film will be distributed via New Regency’s deal with 20th Century Studios.

    Washington, whose bigscreen breakout came in the Spike Lee-directed BlackKklansman, is currently onscreen starring in the Christopher Nolan-directed Tenet, and he also stars with Zendaya in the Sam Levinson-directed/scripted drama Malcolm & Marie. That black and white two-hander drama was shot during the pandemic and sold to Netflix in a $30 million deal amid heavy bidding, based on a sizzle reel shown to buyers during the Toronto Film Festival Market.

    2020 People’s Choice Awards Nominees

    (10/1/20) The annual awards show will broadcast live from the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, CA Nov. 15 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT.

    THE FEMALE MOVIE STAR OF 2020
    1. Camila Mendes – Dangerous Lies
    2. Charlize Theron – The Old Guard
    3. Elisabeth Moss – The Invisible Man
    4. Issa Rae – The Lovebirds
    5. Margot Robbie – Birds of Prey: And The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn
    6. Salma Hayek – Like A Boss
    7. Tiffany Haddish – Like A Boss
    8. Vanessa Hudgens – Bad Boys For Life

    THE ACTION MOVIE STAR OF 2020
    1. Charlize Theron – The Old Guard
    2. Chris Hemsworth – Extraction
    3. Jamie Foxx – Project Power
    4. John David Washington – Tenet
    5. Margot Robbie – Birds of Prey: And The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn
    6. Vanessa Hudgens – Bad Boys For Life
    7. Vin Diesel – Bloodshot
    8. Will Smith – Bad Boys For Life

    DC FanDome: Gal Gadot, Idris Elba, Margot Robbie, Dwayne Johnson, Zack Snyder And More Set For “Epic” Superhero Confab

    (8/9/20) If this year’s virtual Comic-Con wasn’t enough to feed your fanboy/fangirl soul, then DC FanDome will fill that superhero and comic book void. The 24-hour confab will take place online on August 22 and they have announced the all-star roster that practically includes nearly everyone in the DC extended universe.

    The official DC Twitter account unveiled an extensive blink-and-you’ll-miss-it list of actors and filmmakers in the DC TV and film universe that are expected to appear at the virtual confab — and based on the roster, we have an inkling of what news we can expect to come out of DC FanDome.

    Wonder Woman 1984 frontwoman Gal Gadot, co-stars Chris Pine, Pedro Pascal and Kristen Wiig as well as director Patty Jenkins are expected to appear so perhaps we will get some news on the Amazonian superhero sequel which is currently set for an October 2 release date. James Gunn, Idris Elba, Margot Robbie and other actors from the forthcoming Suicide Squad are on the roster so we can probably expect some news coming out on that end. Zack Snyder will also Zoom in and will more than likely talk about the new cut of Justice League which will drop on HBO Max in 2021.

    Also on the lineup is Dwayne Johnson, which leads us to believe some Black Adam news is on the horizon while The Batman director Matt Reeves and Robert Pattinson, the newest actor to don the Dark Knight cowl are set to appear. Ezra Miller will also be on deck to talk about the upcoming standalone film The Flash.

    The event will feature a merging of all of your favorite DC superheroes and super-villains from the past and present and will be available at DCFanDome.com for a 24 hour time frame. Fans will be treated to highly anticipated announcements, exclusive footage and the latest news from WB Games, film and TV, and comics, as well as an opportunity to hear from the casts and creators from its vast library of DC films and TV series.

    Christina Ricci Files for Divorce

    (7/2/20) Christina Ricci has just filed for divorce from her husband after almost 7 years of marriage ... TMZ has learned.

    The "Casper" and "Addams Family" star filed in L.A. County Superior Court Thursday morning to divorce film producer James Heerdegen, whom Ricci met in 2011 while they working on the set of the show, "Pan Am." They got married on October 26, 2013, in NYC.

    Ricci cites irreconcilable differences as the reason why she wants to end the marriage. She's asking for sole legal and physical custody of their 5-year-old son, Freddie.

    Our sources say there is no prenup but Christina was the main money earner. And, then there's this ... Ricci was granted an emergency protective order by cops after an altercation in which she claims James spit on her. The altercation went down exactly a week ago in her L.A. home.

    Heerdegen, who was not arrested after the incident, has been ordered to stay away from Ricci.

    Ricci's repped by attorney Samantha Spector in the divorce.

    ‘Pirates Of The Caribbean’ Movie Eyed With Margot Robbie & ‘Birds Of Prey’ Scribe Christina Hodson

    (6/26/20) Margot Robbie and her Birds of Prey scribe Christina Hodson are in early talks to front a female-driven Pirates of the Caribbean movie at Disney. Hodson would write the script, and Robbie will star if the deal makes.

    Deadline confirmed the talks for the project, which would be a stand-alone film in the Pirates franchise rather than a spinoff or a sequel, according to THR, which first reported the news today.

    This would be separate from the Pirates reboot that emerged last fall with Emmy-winning Chernobyl creator Craig Mazin and Ted Elliott, who co-wrote the first four Pirates films, crafting a story for a new movie. That team-up came after Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, the Deadpool screenwriters who were originally hired to write the script for a sixth installment, dropped out earlier this year.

    The Pirates franchise has grossed more than $4.5 billion worldwide.

    The Brave's Mike Vogel to Star Opposite Sarah Shahi in Netflix's Sex/Life

    (3/5/20) Mike Vogel is officially part of Sarah Shahi’s Sex/Life. The Brave actor will co-star opposite Shahi in Netflix’s upcoming dramedy, according to our sister site Deadline.

    Based on B.B. Easton’s 44 Chapters About 4 Men, the “steamy, female-focused” Sex/Life stars Shahi as Billie Connelly, a suburban mother of two who goes in search of the sexy, single city girl she used to be a decade earlier.

    Vogel will play Billie’s husband, Cooper, who is described as a family man with a successful career that has given Billie the life of her dreams. But when Billie revisits her wild, sexual past, Cooper goes on his own journey of self-discovery, which leads him to more questions than answers.

    The actor most recently starred in NBC’s military drama The Brave, which was cancelled after one season. His credits also include Under the Dome, Bates Motel and Pan Am.

    In addition to Vogel, the series has cast Adam Demos (UnREAL) as Brad Simon, a love interest from Billie’s past, and relative newcomer Margaret Odette as Billie’s ride-or-die best friend, Sasha Snow.

    Hailing from UnREAL EP Stacy Rukeyser — who will serve as executive producer and showrunner — Sex/Life has received an eight-episode order at Netflix. There is currently no timetable for its release.

    Margot Robbie To Co-Star Opposite Christian Bale In David O. Russell New Regency Film

    (2/11/20) Birds of Prey star Margot Robbie has come aboard David O. Russell’s currently untitled New Regency film, which Deadline previously reported had Christian Bale attached to star.

    No details were given about the film’s plot other then it is based on an original idea by Russell. New Regency will produce and distribute through their deal with 20th Century Studios formerly known as Fox. Matthew Budman will also produce.

    Robbie, who was up for the Best Supporting Actress Oscar this past Sunday for her role in Bombshell, is repped by Management 360, CAA, and attorney Jeff Bernstein.

    Michael Mosley guests on Criminal Minds 2/12/20

    (2/4/20) “Family Tree” – Prentiss and J.J. are faced with important decisions to make about their futures as the BAU travels to Beaumont, Texas to investigate a series of murdered businessmen, on CRIMINAL MINDS, Wednesday, Feb. 12 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

    GUEST CAST: Michael Mosley (Everett Lynch), Joseph C. Phillips, (Deputy Director James Barbour), TJ Power (Unsub).

    2020 Oscar Nominations

    (1/13/20) Winners to be unveiled February 9 at the 92nd Academy Awards live on ABC from the Dolby Theater at Hollywood & Highland.

    Actress in a Supporting Role
    Kathy Bates - Richard Jewell (Warner Bros.)
    Laura Dern - Marriage Story (Netflix)
    Scarlett Johansson - Jojo Rabbit (Fox Searchlight)
    Florence Pugh - Little Women (Sony Pictures Releasing)
    Margot Robbie - Bombshell (Lionsgate)

    ‘Birds Of Prey’ Trailer: Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn Roasts The Joker

    (1/10/20) (Video) The daft energy and vivacious mayhem of the upcoming Birds of Prey will be a major change-up from the gritty Gotham City of Joker, and that’s made abundantly clear from the start of the just-released second trailer from Warner Bros. The trailer opens with a police station showdown that evokes the comedic rhythms of The Mask or Who Framed Roger Rabbit? Then the fun really starts…

    Director Cathy Yan’s feature film debut is actually called Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) and, as the title suggests, the superhero action is geared more toward Deadpool’s deadpan humor than The Dark Knight bleakness.

    The spotlight of course is on Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), the fan-favorite Suicide Squad wild-child who teams with the Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and Black Canary (Jurnee Smollet-Bell). Fans of the comics will be excited to see the Canary cry featured in the trailer, while uninitiated viewers might be heartened by the film’s screwball energy and its timely anti-romance theme (as St Valentine’s Day counter-programming the pic opens February 7).

    The trio will clash with Ewan McGregor as the ruthless crime boss called the Black Mask. The cast also includes Rosie Perez as Renee Montoya, Ella Jay Basco as Cassandra Cain, and Chris Messina as Victor Zsaz.

    Harley Quinn may be the most in-demand screen character in the DC Universe these days. Robbie gives voice to the character in the upcoming Lego Movie sequel and Kaley Cuoco of The Big Bang Theory voices her for the animated series Harley Quinn on DC Universe, the subscription streaming site. A different version of Harley also appeared last year in the final season of Gotham.

    Check out the new Birds of Prey trailer above.

    BAFTA Film Awards Nominations

    (1/8/20) Nominations for the EE British Academy Film Awards. Graham Norton is hosting the ceremony this year for the first time with trophies to be handed out on February 2 at London’s Royal Albert Hall.

    SUPPORTING ACTRESS
    LAURA DERN Marriage Story
    SCARLETT JOHANSSON Jojo Rabbit
    FLORENCE PUGH Little Women
    MARGOT ROBBIE Bombshell
    MARGOT ROBBIE Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood.

    Australian Academy’s International Awards

    (1/3/20) Winners were announced tonight for the 9th AACTA International Awards – the international counterpart to the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts’ primary awards show.

    The AACTA International Awards are voted on by the 150 members of the Australian Academy’s International Chapter, many of which overlap with AMPAS and BAFTA.

    AACTA International Award for Best Supporting Actress
    Toni Collette – KNIVES OUT
    Nicole Kidman – BOMBSHELL
    Florence Pugh – LITTLE WOMEN
    Margot Robbie – BOMBSHELL (winner)
    Margot Robbie – ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD

    Robert Patrick, Nick Stahl And Tony Hale Among 6 Set For Psychological Horror ‘What Josiah Saw’

    (12/19/19) Robert Patrick (Scorpion), Nick Stahl (Sleepwalking), Scott Haze (Venom), Kelli Garner (Godzilla: King of the Monsters), Jake Weber (Midway) and Tony Hale (Veep) will star in Vincent Grashaw’s forthcoming psychological horror What Josiah Saw, which has recently wrapped principal photography in Oklahoma.

    Written by Robert Alan Dilts, What Josiah Saw tells the story of a family with buried secrets who reunite at a farmhouse after two decades to pay for their past sins. Specific plot details are being kept under wraps.

    “I felt if I was ever going to do a film which scared people, it would need to be one grounded in a reality that was relatable,” Grashaw said. “It was one of the most unique and terrifying scripts I’d ever come across, and I can’t wait to share this one with an audience.”

    Randomix Productions’ Ran Namerode is producing alongside Beth Elise Hawk through her shingle, Gemini Girls Productions. Bernie Stern and Vincent Grashaw are also producing. Angelia Adzic and Cole Payne are executive producers.

    Patrick is repped by Gersh and Coronel Group; Nick Stahl is repped by LINK Entertainment and Fuller Law; Haze is repped by CAA, Thruline Entertainment, and attorney Darren Trattner; Garner is repped by Gersh and More/Medavoy; Weber is repped by Peg Donegan and Kimberly Hines at Framework Entertainment and Barry McPherson at APA; and Hale is repped by UTA and Hansen, Jacobson, Teller, Hoberman, Newman, Warren, Richman, Rush & Kaller.

    SAG Awards Nominations

    (12/12/19) The Screen Actors Guild Award Winners will be revealed in a ceremony January 19 live on TNT and TBS.

    MOTION PICTURES

    Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture

    BOMBSHELL
    CONNIE BRITTON / Beth Ailes
    ALLISON JANNEY / Susan Estrich
    NICOLE KIDMAN / Gretchen Carlson
    JOHN LITHGOW / Roger Ailes
    MALCOLM McDOWELL / Rupert Murdoch
    KATE McKINNON / Jess Carr
    MARGOT ROBBIE / Kayla Pospisil
    CHARLIZE THERON / Megyn Kelly

    THE IRISHMAN
    BOBBY CANNAVALE / Skinny Razor
    ROBERT DE NIRO / Frank Sheeran
    STEPHEN GRAHAM / Anthony “Tony Pro” Provenzano
    HARVEY KEITEL / Angelo Bruno
    AL PACINO / Jimmy Hoffa
    ANNA PAQUIN / Older Peggy Sheeran
    JOE PESCI / Russell Bufalino
    RAY ROMANO / Bill Bufalino

    JOJO RABBIT
    ALFIE ALLEN / Finkel
    ROMAN GRIFFIN DAVIS / Jojo
    SCARLETT JOHANSSON / Rosie
    THOMASIN McKENZIE / Elsa
    STEPHEN MERCHANT / Deertz
    SAM ROCKWELL / Capt. Klenzendorf
    TAIKA WAITITI / Adolf
    REBEL WILSON / Fraulein Rahm

    ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD
    AUSTIN BUTLER / Tex
    JULIA BUTTERS / Trudi
    BRUCE DERN / George Spahn
    LEONARDO DiCAPRIO / Rick Dalton
    DAKOTA FANNING / Squeaky Fromme
    EMILE HIRSCH / Jay Sebring
    DAMIAN LEWIS / Steve McQueen
    MIKE MOH / Bruce Lee
    TIMOTHY OLYPHANT / James Stacy
    AL PACINO / Marvin Schwarz
    LUKE PERRY / Wayne Maunder
    BRAD PITT / Cliff Booth
    MARGARET QUALLEY / Pussycat
    MARGOT ROBBIE / Sharon Tate

    PARASITE
    HYAE JIN CHANG / Chung Sook
    YEO JEONG CHO / Yeon Kyo
    WOO SHIK CHOI / Ki Woo
    HYEON JUN JUNG / Da Song
    ZISO JUNG / Da Hye
    JUNG EUN LEE / Moon Gwang
    SUN KYUN LEE / Dong Ik
    MYUNG HOON PARK / Geun Se
    SO DAM PARK / Ki Jung
    KANG HO SONG / Ki Taek

    Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role

    LAURA DERN / Nora Fanshaw – “MARRIAGE STORY”
    SCARLETT JOHANSSON / Rosie – “JOJO RABBIT
    NICOLE KIDMAN / Gretchen Carlson – “BOMBSHELL”
    JENNIFER LOPEZ / Ramona – “HUSTLERS”
    MARGOT ROBBIE / Kayla Pospisil – “BOMBSHELL"

    AACTA International Awards Nominations

    (12/11/19) The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts has unveiled nominees for its 9th AACTA International Awards.

    AACTA International Award for Best Supporting Actress
    Toni Collette – Knives Out
    Nicole Kidman – Bombshell
    Florence Pugh – Little Women
    Margot Robbie – Bombshell
    Margot Robbie – Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

    Michael Mosley Guests on Criminal Minds

    (12/9/19) “Under The Skin” – The BAU team investigates an UnSub with striking similarities to Rossi’s latest obsession, “The Chameleon,” a.k.a. Everett Lynch (Michael Mosley), who nearly killed him and then disappeared, on back-to-back episodes of the 15th and final season premiere of CRIMINAL MINDS, Wednesday, Jan. 8 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

    “Awakenings” – With a member of the BAU in the hospital, the team searches for Everett Lynch (Michael Mosley), and his daughter, Grace (Alex Jennings). Also, Spencer has a meaningful visit with his mother, Diana Reid (Jane Lynch), while she’s experiencing a period of lucidity, on CRIMINAL MINDS, Wednesday, Jan. 8 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

    2020 Golden Globes Nominations

    (12/9/19) Golden Globes ceremony, which returns Ricky Gervais as host for a fifth time, is set for January 5, 2020 at the Beverly Hilton.

    BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN ANY MOTION PICTURE

    KATHY BATES
    RICHARD JEWELL

    ANNETTE BENING
    THE REPORT

    LAURA DERN
    MARRIAGE STORY

    JENNIFER LOPEZ
    HUSTLERS

    MARGOT ROBBIE
    BOMBSHELL

    Critics' Choice Awards Nominations 2020

    (12/9/19) The 25th annual Critics Choice Awards will be broadcast live on the CW on January 12.

    BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
    Laura Dern – Marriage Story
    Scarlett Johansson – Jojo Rabbit
    Jennifer Lopez – Hustlers
    Florence Pugh – Little Women
    Margot Robbie – Bombshell
    Zhao Shuzhen – The Farewell

    Netflix has given a series order to Maid

    (11/21/19) Netflix has given a series order to Maid, a dramedy from producers John Wells (Shameless) and Margot Robbie’s LuckyChap Entertainment based on Stephanie Land’s memoir Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive. The show follows “a single mother who turns to housekeeping to — barely — make ends meet as she battles poverty, homelessness and bureaucracy.”

    Juliette Lewis & Christina Ricci Among Eight Cast In Showtime Drama Pilot ‘Yellowjackets’

    (11/19/19) Oscar, Emmy and Golden Globe nominee Juliette Lewis (Camping) and Emmy and Golden Globe nominee Christina Ricci (Z: The Beginning of Everything) are set as series regulars in Showtime drama pilot Yellowjackets, from writers Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson (Narcos), Entertainment One and studio-based producer Drew Comins.

    Rounding out the cast are regulars Ella Purnell (Sweetbitter), Sammi Hanratty (Shameless), Sophie Thatcher (Prospect), Sophie Nélisse (The Book Thief), Steven Krueger (The Originals) and Amy Okuda (Atypical). They join previously announced Melanie Lynskey, Tawny Cypress and Jasmin Savoy Brown.

    Karyn Kusama (Destroyer) will direct and executive produce the pilot, a co-production of Showtime and Entertainment One. Comins of Creative Engine also serves as executive producer.

    Written by Lyle and Nickerson, Yellowjackets is equal parts survival epic, horror story and coming-of-age drama and tells the narrative of a team of wildly talented high school girls soccer players who become the (un)lucky survivors of a plane crash deep in the Ontario wilderness. The series chronicles their descent from a complicated but thriving team to warring, cannibalistic clans, while also tracking the lives they’ve attempted to piece back together nearly 25 years later, proving that the past is never really past and what began out in the wilderness is far from over.

    Lewis and Thatcher star as the respective adult and teen versions of Natalie. Despite her natural talent, Natalie’s punk rock spirit and habit of finding trouble make her the unlikeliest member of the team. As an adult, Natalie struggles to quiet the demons that still haunt her from her time in the wilderness.

    Ricci and Hanratty will respective play adult and teen versions of Misty, the Yellowjackets’ equipment manager. Eager to please and easy to overlook, Misty’s abundance of team spirit belies a hidden dark side.

    Purnell will play Jackie, the Yellowjackets’ magnetically charismatic, effortlessly popular, occasionally entitled team captain.

    Nélisse will play Lynskey’s counterpart as the teen version of Shauna.

    Krueger joins as Ben Scott, the assistant coach and the object of many an unrequited crush.

    Okuda will play Cat Wheeler, a history teacher recruited to bolster the female presence on the coaching staff, despite knowing literally nothing about soccer.

    Lewis received an Oscar and Golden Globe nomination for her role in Martin Scorsese’s Cape Fear and an Emmy nomination for HBO movie Hysterical Blindness. She recently played Jandice in HBO’s Camping and next will be seen in Tate Taylor’s Breaking News in Yuba County as well as the HBO limited drama series I Know This Much Is True. She’s currently shooting indie feature Mayday. She’s repped by UTA and Untitled Entertainment.

    Thatcher’s film credits include Prospect and The Tomorrow Man.

    Ricci most recently starred in Z: The Beginning of Everything, for which she also served as executive producer. In film, she starred in critically acclaimed roles in Black Snake Moan, Monster, The Ice Storm and The Opposite of Sex, for which she earned Golden Globe and Independent Spirit Award nominations. She’s repped by ICM, Untitled Entertainment and Melanie Cook of Ziffren Brittenham.

    Hanratty has recurred on Shameless, Salem, Chosen and Pushing Daisies.

    Purnell is best known for her starring roles in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children and Sweetbitter. Additional credits include Maleficent and Kickass 2.

    Nélisse is best known for her lead role in the critically acclaimed feature The Book Thief, along with feature roles in Monsieur Lazhar, Pawn Sacrifice and 1:54. She’s repped by ICM Partners, Anonymous Content, and Ryan LeVine and Marcy Morris at Jackoway Austen Tyerman.

    Krueger is best known for his series regular role in The Original. He’s other notable TV credits include a recurring role on Pretty Little Liars, and guest spots on Hawaii Five-O, Anger Managment, Two and a Half Men and Workaholics. His feature work includes a supporting role in Goosebumps and the lead role in indie thriller Satanic. He’s repped by Abrams Artists Agency and Allen Edelman Management.

    Okuda’s credits include recurring roles on How to Get Away With Murder, Atypical, The Good Place and Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

    Alex Pettyfer, Mike Vogel, Jacques Colimon Set For Drama ‘Collection’ From ‘Egg’ Director Marianna Palka

    (11/15/19) Marianna Palka, the GLOW actress and filmmaker behind 2018 Tribeca title Egg and Sundance pics Bitch and Good Dick, has set cast on her next feature Collection.

    Alex Pettyfer (I Am Number Four), Mike Vogel (The Help), Jacques Colimon (The Society), Breeda Wool (Mr. Mercedes) and Shakira Barrera (GLOW) are onboard for the drama, which is set in the seedy world of high-stakes debt collecting and follows a grieving father who struggles to shed the tragedies of his past. Todd Friedman wrote the screenplay.

    Producers on the project are the Warner Davis Company with Pettyfer’s Dark Dreams Entertainment.

    Alongside her work as an actress in the likes of Netflix series GLOW with Alison Brie, Marianna Palka has steadily established herself in the indie filmmaking space since her 2008 debut Good Dick, starring Palka with Jason Ritter that premiered at Sundance.

    Her credits behind the camera also include the 2017 comedy-drama Bitch, which again featured Ritter and Palka alongside Jaime King and debuted at Sundance, and the 2018 comedy Egg, which starred Christina Hendricks and premiered at Tribeca.

    Collection will begin shooting later this month in Birmingham, Alabama.

    Pettyfer’s credits also include Magic Mike, Elvis & Nixon and Lee Daniels’ The Butler.

    Vision Films Takes Christina Ricci Romance ‘10 Things We Should Do Before We Break Up’ – AFM

    (11/10/19) Vision Films has taken North American distribution on 10 Things We Should Do Before We Break Up, the romance pic starring Christina Ricci (Casper) and Hamish Linklater (The Big Short).

    Film was written and directed by Galt Niederhoffer, it stars Ricci as a single mother who meets an irresponsible man. The pair believe they are destined to end badly, so create a list of ten things they should do before they break up.

    Lindsey Broad, John Abrahams and Katina Winter also star.

    Archstone Entertainment handles sales. Vision is planning a day and date theatrical release for February 2020.

    Karine Vanasse on God Friended Me 11/17/19

    (11/1/19) “The Last Grenelle” – Miles is shocked when the clues he began following in Paris lead him to Gideon (T.R. Knight), who had been helping friend suggestions years ago before making a fateful decision to leave the God Account behind, on GOD FRIENDED ME, Sunday, Nov. 17 (8:30-9:30 PM, ET/8:00-9:00 PM, PT) on the CBS Television Network.

    RECURRING CAST: Karine Vanasse (Audrey Grenelle), Shazi Raja (Jaya)

    Karine Vanasse on God Friended Me 11/10/19

    (11/1/19) “Instant Karma” – Miles is confused when Sameer (Vinny Chhibber), a lawyer with financial problems, wants nothing to do with a winning lottery ticket that the God Account helps Miles return to him. Also, Ali opens up to the congregation at the LGBTQ-friendly church she joined, and Audrey (Karine Vanasse), the artist behind the mysterious painting Miles saw in Paris, reveals surprising information behind the work, on GOD FRIENDED ME, Sunday, Nov. 10 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

    Karine Vanasse on God Friended Me 11/3/19

    (10/18/19) “The Fighter” – The God Account sends Miles the name of Elena (Cynthia Sosa), a social worker who began training in mixed martial arts to help heal the emotional wounds of a traumatic experience. Also, Arthur is torn between a professional opportunity and promises he made to his fiancé, Trish, and Rakesh attempts to track down the artist behind the mysterious painting that Miles and Cara found in Paris, on GOD FRIENDED ME, Sunday, Nov. 3 (8:30-9:30 PM, ET/8:00-9:00 PM, PT) on the CBS Television Network.

    GUEST CAST inlcudes: Cynthia Sosa (Elena), Josh Segarra (Austin), Karine Vanasse (Audrey Grenelle).

    Ashley Greene, Andrew Walker & Jackée Harry To Star In Hallmark Channel Holiday Movie

    (10/17/19) Ashley Greene, Andrew Walker and Jackée Harry are set as the leads in Christmas On My Mind (fka An Unforgettable Christmas), a new Hallmark Channel holiday movie.

    Written by Kristen Hansen, in Christmas On My Mind, when Lucy (Greene) wakes up with a wedding dress in hand, she believes that she is late to her wedding with her ex-boyfriend Zac (Walker). However, she has no recollection of the past 2 years, including the fact that she is engaged to another man. With Zac’s help, Lucy sets off on an adventure in Bedford Harbor to fill the gaps in her memory, and finds old romantic feelings reigniting during the Christmas season. Harry plays Dr. Caroline Albright.

    Tim Johnson and Maura Dunbar executive produce.

    Christmas On My Mind is slated to air Thursday, December 19 on Hallmark Channel.

    Greene, best known for her role in the Twilight series, recently starred in Accident Man and the TV series Rogue. She’ll next be seen in the role of Abby Huntsman in Bombshell.

    Walker also will be seen in Hallmark Channel movie Merry & Bright. He’s repped by APA, Thruline and ART in Canada.

    Harry also has a starring role in Carole’s Christmas, set for premiere next month on OWN. Harry won an outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series Emmy for her role as Sandra Clark in 227. Her previous credits include the Lifetime original movie Pride & Prejudice: Atlanta, The Paynes, The Jeffersons, and Cool Kids among others. She’s repped by Metropolitan and manager Bob McGowan.

    ‘Bombshell’ Trailer: Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman and Margot Robbie Are Fed Up And Targeting The Fox News Boys Club

    (10/15/19) (Video) “You have to adopt the mentality of an Irish street cop,” the new woman at Fox News Channel is told. “The world is a bad place, people are lazy morons, minorities are criminals, sex is sick but interesting. Ask yourself, ‘What would scare my grandmother or piss off my grandfather?’ — and that’s a Fox story.”

    Here is the new trailer for Bombshell, director Jay Roach’s take on the scandal that brought down FNC founder and ruler Roger Ailes. The clip shows whistleblower Gretchen Carlson (Nicole Kidman) as she tries to convince HR that there is a sexual-harassment problem at the network. “You’re a man-hater,” she’s tells them she’s been told. “Learn to get along with the boys.”

    The suits’ response: “Will other women come forward?”

    Cut to Megyn Kelly (Charlize Theron) as she addresses her Fox News audience about “the dust-up involving yours truly and presidential contender Donald Trump.” Later when she hears the Donald’s infamous line about “blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her — wherever,” Kelly is aghast. “Did he just accuse me of anger-menstruating?”

    Then we meet Ailes (John Lithgow), who informs Kelly, “Nobody stops watching because there’s a conflict — they stop watching when there isn’t one.”

    Margot Robbie plays the new Fox News arrival, Kayla, who is a fictional amalgam of other real-life characters. Malcolm McDowell, Allison Janney, Kate McKinnon, Mark Duplass, Alive Eve, Liv Hewson, Alanna Ubach and others co-star.

    Oscar-winning The Big Short screenwriter Charles Randolph penned the script for the movie from Bron Studios and Theron’s Denver & Delilah Productions. Lionsgate releases Bombshell on December 20. Check out the trailer above.

    Rachel Brosnahan, Travis Fimmel, Christina Ricci Among 9 Cast In Quibi Horror Anthology Series ’50 States Of Fright

    (10/4/19) Quibi has given a green light to 50 States of Fright, a horror anthology series, from Gunpowder & Sky’s ALTER horror brand, DIGA Studios and executive producer Sam Raimi (Spider Man, Army of Darkness). Cast includes Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), Travis Fimmel (Vikings, Warcraft: The Beginning), Christina Ricci (Monster, Z: The Beginning of Everything), Jacob Batalon (Spiderman: Homecoming, Spiderman: Far From Home), Ming-Na Wen (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, The Mandalorian), Taissa Farmiga (The Nun, American Horror Story), Asa Butterfield (Sex Education, Hugo), John Marshall Jones (The Last Revolutionary, Rectify) and Ron Livingston (Loudermilk, A Million Little Things), who each will star in an episode of the upcoming series.

    The first season will explore stories based on urban legends from Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Oregon and Washington taking viewers deeper into the horrors that lurk just beneath the surface of our country.

    Raimi and Debbie Liebling (Pen 15, Plus One) executive produce through POD 3 along with Van Toffler, Tony DiSanto, Cody Zwieg, Barry Barclay, Tommy Coriale and Chris Mangano.

    Following are details of each episode with cast.

    Brosnahan, Fimmel and Jones will star in “The Golden Arm” based on a famous urban legend out of Michigan, co-written by Sam Raimi and Ivan Raimi (Army of Darkness, Drag Me to Hell) and directed by Sam Raimi.

    Ricci and Batalon will play lead roles in “Red Rum,” which follows the storyline of Colorado’s scariest story.

    Wen will star in “America’s Largest Ball of Twine,” based on Kansas myth.

    Farmiga and Livingston will co-star in “Almost There,” Iowa’s frightening folklore, which will be written and directed by Iowa natives Scott Beck & Bryan Woods (A Quiet Place, Haunt).

    Butterfield is cast as the male lead in “Grey Cloud Island” a chilling tale from Minnesota.

    “The driving force for us as a studio is to foster the careers of emerging talent by marrying them with proven innovators,” said Van Toffler, CEO, Gunpowder & Sky. “With 50 States of Fright we sought out a diverse group of breakthrough performers and fearless horror visionaries and partnered them with Sam Raimi to oversee the creative process. This winning formula ensures we’ll get a s-load of scares.” Additional writers/directors include: Yoko Okumura (Facets, Fed Up) to direct; Sarah Conradt-Kroehler (Out of Her Mind) to write; Mae Catt (Transformers: Cyberverse) to write; Isa Mazzei (CAM) & Daniel Goldhaber (CAM) to write and direct; Cate Devaney (Sinister, Deliver Us From Evil) to write and direct; Greg Hale (Avengers, Iron Man) to write; Ryan Spindell (Two Sentence Horror Series) to write and direct; Adam Schindler (Intruders, Delivery: The Beast With Within) and Brian Netto (Delivery: The Beast Within) to write and direct; Alejandro Brugués (Juan of the Dead, Nightmare Cinema) and Eduardo Sánchez (The Blair Witch Project, Queen of the South) to write and direct.

    ‘Birds Of Prey’ Trailer: Harley Quinn Is Ready For Her Close-Up

    (10/2/19) (Video) Good luck Gotham City, it looks like you’re going to need it. In the just-released Warner Bros trailer for Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), Margot Robbie returns to Bruce Wayne’s hometown as Harley Quinn, the volatile vixen of vivacity who made the leap from the pages of DC Comics to Hollywood’s big screen in Suicide Squad (2016). That $175 million PG-13 film piled up $747 million in worldwide box office due in large part to Robbie’s bawdy, wild-child performance — the new film will try pushing even further into edgy material with a R-rating.

    The “emancipation” in the eccentric (and elongated) title is a nod to Harley’s relationship status after parting ways with her bad-boy boyfriend, the Joker (as played with pervy menace by Jared Leto in Suicide Squad). But being single isn’t the same as being alone, especially when you’ve got friends like the Birds of Prey. That’s the name for the “girl gang” that teams Harley with the Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and Black Canary (Jurnee Smollet-Bell).

    The trio will clash with Ewan McGregor as the mysterious and ruthless crime boss called the Black Mask. The cast also includes Rosie Perez as Renee Montoya, Ella Jay Basco as Cassandra Cain, and Chris Messina as Victor Zsaz. Now in post-production, Birds of Prey was directed by Cathy Yan and due in theaters on Feb. 7.

    The trailer’s release is part of a huge week for Gotham City characters. This past Sunday night, Pennyworth (starring Jack Bannon as Batman’s future butler) closed out its first season on Epix. This Thursday, the highly anticipated Joker hits theaters and is widely considered a major Oscar contender. Next Sunday, the new R-rated Harley Quinn television series (starring Kaley Cuoco of The Big Bang Theory) will get a special preview at New York Comic Con. That same night, Batwoman premieres on The CW. This year also marks the 80th anniversary of Batman.

    Bermuda Triangle Pilot Nixed by ABC

    (9/24/19) ABC will not be braving the Bermuda Triangle after all.

    Commissioned nearly eight months ago, the pilot for the sci-fi drama Triangle has been officially passed on by the network, our sister site Deadline reports, following a late, international shoot and special effects work that took post-production into late August.

    Penned by Jon Feldman (Blood & Oil, Dirty Sexy Money) and Sonny Postiglione (ABC’s Life on Mars), Triangle set out to ask: “What if the Bermuda Triangle was not a watery grave in the middle of the ocean, but a land lost in time that has trapped travelers over the course of human history?” The series was to be set in motion when a family is shipwrecked in this strange land, and forced to band together with a group of like-minded inhabitants — from throughout history — to survive and somehow find a way home.

    The cast included Mike Vogel (The Brave, Under the Dome), Edwin Hodge (Mayans M.C., Chicago Fire), Mallory Jansen (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Galavant), Matt Passmore (Satisfaction, The Glades), Lorenzo Richelmy (Marco Polo), Amit Shah (the UK’s Crashing), Diana Bermudez and Sarah Catherine Hook.

    Margot Robbie & Her LuckyChap Label In Talks For ‘Fools Day’ At New Line

    (9/16/19) Margot Robbie’s LuckyChap Entertainment is in talks to produce Fools Day at New Line, for which the Suicide Squad actress also is in negotiations to play a key supporting role.

    The project is based on Cody Blue Snider’s award-winning comedy short Fools Day, which New Line acquired some time ago. Snider, co-wrote and directed the short and also will direct and co-write the upcoming full-length feature. Shane Snider and Keatyn Lee also will co-write.

    Fools Day follows a fourth-grade class who plays an innocent April Fools prank on their teacher that accidentally kills her. Convinced they’ll go to prison if anyone finds out, they try to hide her body before a police officer arrives for their anti-drug lesson. Robbie plans to play the teacher. The short was honored at more than 30 film festivals around the globe.

    Bill Migliore, Edward Norton, and John Rickard are producing. Robbie, Tom Ackerley and Josey McNamara are to produce through LuckyChap Entertainment.

    Cody Blue Snider is repped by Verve Talent and Literary Agency, Circle of Confusion and Cohen & Gardner. LuckyChap Entertainment is repped by CAA, Management 360, attorney Jeff Bernstein.

    Robbie is about to reprise her role as Harley Quinn in James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad, which will shoot at Pinewood Studios in Atlanta. She next stars in Jay Roach’s Bombshell for Lionsgate, about the women who took down Fox News boss Roger Ailes, due out on December 20. Her recent movie Once Upon a Time in Hollywood became Quentin Tarantino’s second-highest grossing film of all-time with close to $330M. Her next movie as DC’s Harley Quinn is Warner Bros.’ Birds of Prey, opening on February 7.

    ‘God Friended Me’ Casts Karine Vanasse

    (9/12/19) Karine Vanasse (Cardinal, Revenge) has booked a recurring role on the upcoming second season of God Friended Me, the CBS drama series from Greg Berlanti’s Berlanti Productions and Warner Bros. TV. Created by Steven Lilien and Bryan Wynbrandt and starring Brandon Micheal Hall, God Friended Me is a humor-tinged uplifting drama about Miles Finer (Hall), an outspoken atheist whose life is turned upside down when he receives a friend request on social media from “God” and unwittingly becomes an agent of change in the lives and destinies of others around him. Vanasse plays Audrey Grenelle, a French socialite with a mysterious connection to the God Account. Her involvement will lead Miles (Hall) to a discovery that will change everything he thought he knew about the God Account. Vanasse plays Lise Delorme in Canadian drama series Cardinal and also is known for her role as Margaux LeMarchal on Revenge. She’s repped by Amanda Rosenthal Talent Agency and Brillstein Entertainment Partners.

    Ashley Greene, Greg Finley, David Arquette & More To Star In Streetballer Drama ‘Blackjack: The Jackie Ryan Story’

    (8/26/19) Ashley Greene (Twilight saga), Greg Finley (The Flash), Brandon Thomas Lee (The Hills: New Beginnings), Michael Rapaport (Atypical) and David Arquette (Scream film series) have signed to star in Blackjack: The Jackie Ryan Story, a feature about the Brooklyn-native street basketball legend Jackie Ryan. Danny A. Abeckaser is directing the film for his production company 2B Films. Antonio Macia wrote the script in collaboration with Ryan.

    Based on a true story, the pic will center on Jackie, a hot-tempered, flamboyant and self-centered streetballer whose dreams of playing professional basketball seem to have passed him by after years of hard partying and neglect. Jackie works construction alongside his overbearing father and his wise-cracking best friend Marty. After being spotted at the famous West 4th basketball court for his incredible talent, Jackie is invited to try out for the New Jersey Nets. He is forced to confront his inner demons, even his family, and turn his life around.

    Greene has been cast as the female lead, Finley will take on the title role, and Lee will play Jackie Ryan’s brother.

    Rounding out the cast are Robert Davi, Bo Dietl, Tara Westwood, Sean Avery and James Madio, with filming slated to being at the end of the month in New York. Abeckaser will produce the project with Vincent Maggio. Executive producers are Isaac Gindi, David Gindi and Ron Rofe

    “I am so excited to finally begin shooting this film,” Abeckaser said. “We have spent two years working on the movie behind the scenes and the last month prepping in New York for production and in casting mode. To be able to finally start shooting and have our cast set is beyond exciting. We needed to find a slew of actors who can not only act but also play basketball in order to be able to shoot this film accurately to tell the story of Jackie Ryan the way I want to tell it.”

    The film will mark Abeckaser’s third directorial outing following the yet-to-be-released film Mob Town, in which he co-stars in with Arquette, and First We Take Brooklyn. He’ll also appear in the upcoming Martin Scorsese film The Irishman.

    Lionsgate Drops ‘Bombshell’ Trailer: Margot Robbie, Charlize Theron & Nicole Kidman Take On Roger Ailes

    (8/21/19) (Video) Very quietly this morning, Lionsgate dropped the trailer and revealed the title for their Jay Roach-directed, Charles Randolph scripted movie about the women who take on Fox News Channel boss Roger Ailes: Bombshell.

    While we don’t get a glance at John Lithgow’s Roger Ailes in the current trailer, we see Margot Robbie’s Kayla Pospisil (a fictitious news producer) getting on the elevator with Charlize Theron’s Megyn Kelly and Nicole Kidman’s Gretchen Carlson as they head to the second floor — the executive suite at Fox News Channel’s 1211 Ave. of the Americas. Everyone is just calm and cool here. Earlier in the trailer we see Kate McKinnon’s FNC producer looking up at Robbie, to see what’s going on. Pic’s release date, still not specified, will be December.

    Carlson sued Ailes for sexual harassment in 2016, forcing him to resign (before his death), and busted a dam which saw a flood of women step forward who claimed they too were harassed by the cable network news chief. Carlson settled with 21st Century Fox for a reported $20M. Kelly also admitted that she was sexually harassed by Ailes. She wrote about those advances in her 2016 book Settle for More. HarperCollins reportedly paid Kelly $10M-plus for the book.

    Bron Studios co-financed the pic. Lionsgate picked up the movie in turnaround from Annapurna last fall.

    'Titans’: Michael Mosley (‘Ozark’) Cast As Doctor Light On DC Universe Series

    (8/21/19) Michael Mosley (Ozark, Seven Seconds) is set to portray the nefarious Doctor Light in a recurring role for Season 2 of Titans, the flagship show of the DC Universe subscription streaming site.

    Mosley will portray the conveniently named Dr. Arthur Light, a physicist who manipulates light and its properties to launch a criminal career. Since his 1962 debut in Justice League of America No. 12 (in a story by writer Gardner Fox and artist Mike Sekowsky), the scientist criminal has been portrayed in a variety of ways. The relatively minor character was revamped as a comedic persona in the 1980s, for instance, but wa taken in a far different direction in 2004 when the Identity Crisis series presented him as a ruthless rapist in its controversial but popular story arc.

    Titans returns with weekly episodes on Sept. 6th. Mosley will play opposite Brenton Twaites, Anna Diop, Teagan Croft, and Ryan Potter. Created by Greg Berlanti for television and based on characters fro decades of DC Comics, Titans follows a team of young superheroes led by Nightwing (Twaites), the hero formerly known as Robin the Boy Wonder. Dr. Light will be joined by Deathstroke (portrayed by Esai Morales) as another big bad for Titans in its sophomore season.

    Mosley was recently seen as Pastor Mason Young in Netflix’s critically-acclaimed Ozark. He also starred in Netflix’s crime drama, Seven Seconds opposite Emmy-winner Regina King. Mosley will also star in the Fox drama neXT, set for 2020 release. Mosley’s film credits include Sister Aimee, which premiered this year at the Sundance Film Festival and is slated for wide release in September.

    Mosley is repped by Gersh Agency and Industry Entertainment.

    ABC Boss On Status Of ‘Triangle’, ‘Heart Of Life’ & ‘Nana’

    (8/5/19) ABC in May delayed a decision on its Bermuda Triangle-themed sci-fi drama Triangle, which was a late, international shoot, until the pilot was finished. The pilot starring Mike Vogel will be wrapping editing this weekend.

    There had been speculation the project would not be going forward. But ABC Entertainment president Karey Burke is reserving judgment on its fate until she sees the final product. “I want to wait and make a final decision when the editing of the show is completed, and it has all special effects,” she told Deadline on Monday.

    Another ABC hourlong pilot from this past cycle, Heart of Life, which was inspired by the John Mayer song, was not picked up to series in May but was put in redevelopment.

    Ben Queen, who wrote the original pilot, has been paired with All American creator April Blair.

    “Ben Queen and April Blair are doing a rewrite to the pilot that was shot, and we’re looking to read the new script and then determine if we are going forward,” Burke said.

    Comedy pilot Nana, starring and executive produced by Katey Sagal, is dead, but ABC brass are not giving up on Sagal as the brash and bawdy Nana.

    “We are in love with Katey’s interpretation of that character so we said that we would consider redeveloping it for Katey should the right package come together,” Burke said.

    Kelli Garner Signs With More/Medavoy For Management

    (8/2/19) The Enemy Within alumna Kelli Garner has signed with More/Medavoy for management.

    Garner most recently starred as Kate Ryan on NBC’s The Enemy Within opposite Jennifer Carpenter and Morris Chestnut. She previously played Marilyn Monroe opposite Susan Sarandon in the Lifetime event series The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe.

    Garner’s most notable film performances include Craig Gillespie’s Lars and the Real Girl, Ang Lee’s Taking Woodstock, and Martin Scorsese’s The Aviator. On the television side, Garner co-starred opposite Christina Ricci in ABC’s Pan Am.

    Garner is also represented by The Gersh Agency and Hansen, Jacobson, Teller, Hoberman, Newman, Warren, Richman, Rush & Kaller.

    ‘Ameri-Scares’: Margot Robbie’s LuckyChap & Assemble Media Developing Family Horror Anthology

    (7/24/19) Margot Robbie and her LuckyChap Entertainment are teaming with Assemble Media and Warner Horizon to develop Elizabeth Massie’s Ameri-Scares book series as a family-friendly horror anthology with a road-trip spirit: Every episode would take place in a different state and center on a notorious local legends or spooky historical events.

    Ameri-Scares is being developed as a series for traditional television or for a streaming service. Robbie, Brett Hedblom, & Josey McNamara will produce for LuckyChap Entertainment, which produced the I, Tonya and the recently wrapped Birds of Prey (and The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn). Jack Heller & Brendan Deneen will produce for Assemble Media, which is also producing Gia Coppola’s forthcoming film Mainstream, starring Andrew Garfield, Maya Hawke, and Nat Wolff.

    “With Ameri-Scares we saw the perfect opportunity for us to delve into the horror space, and tell the kind of unique and scary stories we used to tell each other around the campfire or at sleepovers as kids,” Robbie and her company said in a statement. “We’re excited to team with our partners at Assemble and Warner Horizon to bring Elizabeth Massie’s cross-country series of thrilling mysteries and haunting folk stories to life.”

    Massie, whose body of work includes novels, short fiction, media-tie ins, poetry, and nonfiction, is a two-time winner of the Bram Stoker Award and a recipient of the Scribe Award. Crossroad Press of North Carolina publishes Ameri-Scares, which is aimed at middle-school readers (ages 8-13). To date, there have been eight novellas in the book series: California, New York, Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Maryland, all written by Massie, plus Michigan and West Virginia editions written by Steven Mark Rainey.

    “As fans of horror fiction that appeals to both teens and adults alike, we knew as soon as we read Ameri-Scares that Elizabeth had created something very special and of-the-moment,” said Deneen, Assemble’s president of Literary an IP Development. “We’re thrilled to be working with LuckyChap and Warner Horizon on this spooky new series.”

    LuckyChap Entertainment is represented by Management 360, CAA, attorney Jeff Bernstein, and Narrative PR.

    Prodigal Son, Deputy, Two More Dramas Earn Series Orders at Fox

    (5/10/19) Fox is restocking its drama slate for next season. The network has handed series orders to four new dramas, TVLine has learned: Prodigal Son, Deputy, neXt and an untitled drama from Annie Weisman and Jason Katims.

    Prodigal Son stars Walking Dead alum Tom Payne as criminal psychologist Malcolm Bright, who solves crimes for the NYPD by knowing how killers think — because his father is one. Michael Sheen (The Good Fight) plays Malcolm’s dad Dr. Martin Whitly, an infamous serial killer known as “The Surgeon.” Bellamy Young (Scandal), Lou Diamond Phillips (Longmire) and Halston Sage (The Orville) lead the supporting cast. Chris Fedak and Sam Sklaver (Deception) are the creators, with the ubiquitous Greg Berlanti onboard as an executive producer.

    Deputy — billed as “a modern cop drama that blends the spirit of a classic Western with a modern-day attitude and gritty authenticity” — stars True Detective‘s Stephen Dorff as fifth-generation lawman Bill Hollister, who becomes the sheriff of Los Angeles County. The supporting cast includes Yara Martinez (Jane the Virgin), Brian Van Holt (Cougar Town), Siena Goines (Grey’s Anatomy) and Bex Taylor-Klaus (Arrow). Castle scribe Will Beall penned the pilot.

    neXt stars Mad Men vet John Slattery as a tech pioneer who learns that one of his artificial-intelligence creations might lead to global disaster and “teams up with a cybercrime agent to fight a villain unlike anything we’ve ever seen — one whose greatest weapon against us is ourselves,” per the official synopsis. Fernanda Andrade (Sons of Anarchy), Michael Mosley (Ozark) and Eve Harlow (Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) co-star. Manny Coto (24, Dexter) is the creator.

    The untitled drama from Annie Weisman (The Path) and Jason Katims (Friday Night Lights, Parenthood) centers on three women who discover they’re sisters when one of them learns the truth about her renowned fertility-doc father. Brittany Snow (the Pitch Perfect movies), Megalyn Echikunwoke (The Following) and Emily Osment (Young & Hungry) star as the sisters, with Weisman serving as creator. Katims will serve as an EP.

    2019 Canadian Screen Award Winners

    (4/1/19) Best Lead Actress, Drama Program or Limited Series: Karine Vanasse, Cardinal: Blackfly Season

    ‘Once Upon A Time In Hollywood’ Teaser: First Look Trailer At Quentin Tarantino Film

    (3/21/19) (Video) After two days of poster teases, Sony has dropped a real teaser — a short trailer — for Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and nothing in the posters suggested the surprising tone of the video. We’re talking comedy, or at least a surprising lightheartedness. About Hollywood in the Manson era. Even Damon Herriman, as the lunatic killer, smiles and waves at the camera.

    Then again, nothing is ever quite what it seems in a Tarantino film. What we can confidently take away from the teaser: Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt display a loose, best-buddy chemistry as their respective TV star and stuntman characters are interviewed — newsreel-style — and discuss what exactly a stunt double does. “Carryin’ his load?” Pitt’s Cliff Booth answers dryly. “Yeah, that’s about right.”

    Here’s the official logline: Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood visits 1969 Los Angeles, where everything is changing, as TV star Rick Dalton (DiCaprio) and his longtime stunt double Cliff Booth (Pitt) make their way around an industry they hardly recognize anymore. The ninth film from the writer-director features a large ensemble cast and multiple storylines in a tribute to the final moments of Hollywood’s golden age.

    During the teaser, we also see brief clips of Margot Robbie as Sharon Tate, some scene-setting shots of ’60s-era LA (a cinema marquee boasts The Night They Raided Minsky’s, putting us, at that moment, in 1968 or, depending on how long Minsky’s has been playing, maybe ’69), a Playboy club, maybe the Sunset Strip and, with hints of the danger to come, a group of hippie girls at what we can reasonably assume is Spahn Ranch, ground zero for Manson’s family of lost kids and killers. Bruce Dern plays the old and ailing Spahn.

    Oh, and we also get a great look at Mike Moh playing Bruce Lee as Kato on The Green Hornet.

    Earlier this week, Sony released character posters for the film. See them here and here.

    Written and Directed by Tarantino, produced by David Heyman, Shannon McIntosh and Quentin Tarantino, the film hits theaters July 26. Check out the teaser above.

    Michael Mosley Cast In Fox Drama Pilot ‘neXT’

    (3/15/19) Michael Mosley (Seven Seconds, Ozark) is set as a series regular in Fox’s AI thriller drama pilot neXT from 24: Legacy co-creator/executive producer Manny Coto, This Is Us directors/executive producers John Requa and Glenn Ficarra and 20th Century Fox TV.

    Written by Coto, neXt is described as a propulsive, fact-based thriller grounded in the latest A.I. research. It features a brilliant but paranoid former tech CEO who joins a Homeland Cybersecurity Agent and her team to stop the world’s first artificial intelligence crisis: the emergence of a rogue AI with the ability to continuously improve itself. Marrying pulse-pounding action with a layered examination of how technology is invading our lives and transforming us in ways we don’t yet understand, the series also presents us with a villain like we’ve never seen before, one whose greatest weapon against us is ourselves.

    Mosley will play CM, a Southern ex-con hacker with a genius IQ who works at the FBI cybercrime division.

    He joins previously cast series regulars Fernanda Andrade, Eve Harlowe, Aaron Moten and Gerardo Celasco.

    Coto executive produces alongside directors Requa and Ficarra, and Charlie Gogolak of Zaftig Films for 20th TV.

    Mosley most recently starred as Kenny in the Sundance film, Sister Aimee. He also starred opposite Regina King in the Netflix crime drama Seven Seconds and as Pastor Mason Young in Netflix’s drama series Ozark. In addition to his starring role on USA’s Sirens, Mosley’s credits include ABC’s Castle, A&E’s Longmire and features Hot Pursuit and Peppermint. He’s repped by Gersh and Industry Entertainment.

    Margot Robbie’s LuckyChap Mounting Period Musical ‘Big Gay Jamboree’ At Paramount

    (2/28/19) Margot Robbie’s LuckyChap Entertainment is producing the period musical Big Gay Jamboree at Paramount. Fun Moms Dinner director Alethea Jones is attached to direct off a script being written by Maria Mindelle and Jonathan Parks-Ramage. Robbie isn’t attached to star.

    The musical follows a young, raunchy woman who is transported into a 1940s musical and must find her way back home to present day. The project is said to be a mix between Oklahoma! and Book of Mormon.

    Mike Vogel To Star In ABC Pilot ‘Triangle’

    (2/27/19) Mike Vogel, coming off his starring role on the NBC military drama The Brave, has been tapped to lead the cast of another broadcast drama project, the ABC pilot Triangle, from Jon Harmon Feldman and Jennifer Gwartz’s Random Hill and ABC Studios.

    Written by Feldman and Sonny Postiglione, Triangle poses the question, what if the Bermuda Triangle was not a watery grave in the middle of the ocean but a land lost in time that has trapped travelers over the course of human history? When a family is shipwrecked in this strange land, they must band together with a group of like-minded inhabitants — from throughout history — to survive and somehow find a way home.

    Vogel will play the central character David Roman, whose life has always been a bit of a roller coaster. He’s an orphan who bounced between foster homes growing up. Now hoping to begin a new life with his daughter, Natalie, and fiancé, Alex, their tropical vacation is interrupted by a violent storm that capsizes their boat and lands them in a strange land filled with danger, mystery, and no way home.

    Feldman, Gwartz and Postiglione executive produce.

    Before headlining NBC’s The Brave, Vogel played the lead on CBS’ summer drama series Under the Dome and the Syfy miniseries Childhood’s End. In features, he was recently seen in Battle of the Sexes and The Case for Christ. He is repped by Geordie Frey and Gersh.

    Harley Quinn’s Makeover: See Margot Robbie’s New ‘Birds of Prey’ Look In Trailer

    (1/29/19) Look out Gotham City, Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn is all dressed up for fun. The scene-stealing star of Suicide Squad is returning to the role of the DC Comics wild-card wild child for Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), an R-rated Warner Bros. romp through Batman’s grim hometown. Today the I, Tonya star shared an image of her new Harley look while Fandango released an attention-grabbing new teaser trailer. You can find both below.

    Now filming in Los Angeles, Birds of Prey is being directed by Cathy Yan and also features Mary Elizabeth Winstead as the Huntress, Ewan McGegor as Black Mask, Jurnee Smolet-Bell as Black Canary and Rosie Perez as Renee Montoya. The dark-edged crime film from director Cathy Yan is part of the Warner Bros. wave of edgy DC Comics adaptations (along with the upcoming Joker film starring Joaquin Phoenix) that are more stand-alone than the intricately connected narratives that have become a foundation of rival Disney’s Marvel Studios approach to superhero cinema.

    Harley Quinn may be the most in-demand screen character in the DC Universe these days. Robbie gives voice to the character in the upcoming Lego Movie sequel. A version of the character has been in the mix on Fox’s Gotham, now in its fifth and final season. And Kaley Cuoco of Big Bang Theory fame will voice the title character of the animated series Harley Quinn, which will follow the daft and diabolical villainess in an adult-edged series launching later this year on DC Universe, the subscription streaming site.

    Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) will be released Feb. 7, 2020. (Video, Photo)

    BAFTA Nominations

    (1/9/19) SUPPORTING ACTRESS
    AMY ADAMS Vice
    CLAIRE FOY First Man
    EMMA STONE The Favourite
    MARGOT ROBBIE Mary Queen of Scots
    RACHEL WEISZ The Favourite

    Margot Robbie set to star as Mattel’s live-action ‘Barbie’

    (1/8/19) Amy Schumer and Anne Hathaway are out — and Margot Robbie is in as Barbie.

    Mattel and Warner Bros. have announced that the “I, Tonya” Oscar nominee is set to fill the role once announced for both actresses, CNBC’s Carl Quitanalla reports via Twitter.

    At a 2017 Cinema Socity and Svedka party for her film “Fun Mom Dinner,” director Alethea Jones seemed to confirm rumors that Hathaway would star in her live-action Barbie flick. At the time, Jones was overheard talking about casting Hathaway in the Sony movie after Schumer dropped out due to scheduling conflicts.

    The big-screen adaptation of Mattel’s iconic toy line was originally expected to start production in June 2017, but Schumer’s calendar was too packed with a lengthy promotional tour for her Fox comedy “Snatched,” as well as a scheduled shoot for Rebecca Miller’s “She Came to Me” opposite Steve Carell.

    Amy and Anne’s dual dropout is Margot’s double gain — and now the 28-year-old Aussie actress can add a different kind of action figure alongside her already popular Harley Quinn doll from the “Suicide Squad” franchise.

    The Barbie film is scheduled to be released sometime in 2020, and is being hyped as a potential lifeline for the financially strained Mattel. The 74-year-old company behind Barbie, Hot Wheels and Fisher-Price saw revenues dip from $6.5 billion in 2013 to a projected $4.5 billion this year, the New York Times reports. Plus a profit of more than $913 million turned into an expected loss of $418 million, dragging the company’s stock down 73 percent to a nearly 10-year low.

    Michael Mosley on Ciminal Minds 1/23/18

    (1/7/19) “Chameleon” – Rossi questions his actions in the aftermath of a near-death struggle with a serial killer who appears to have outsmarted the BAU, on CRIMINAL MINDS, Wednesday, Jan. 23 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Gail O’Grady returns as Krystall, Rossi’s girlfriend.

    GUEST CAST includes: Gail O’Grady (Krystall Richards), Michael Mosley (Everett Lynch), Sharon Lawrence (Roberta Lynch).

    ‘Mary Queen Of Scots’: Margot Robbie & Saoirse Ronan On Separation, Smallpox & The Power Behind The Female Throne

    (1/6/19) (deadline.com) The real Queen Elizabeth I and Mary Stuart probably never met. But when you cast a film with Margot Robbie as Elizabeth, and Saoirse Ronan as Mary, it seems only right that they come together, if only for one scene. Josie Rourke’s Mary Queen of Scots may briefly put the two monarchs face-to-face, but otherwise, staying true to the characters’ separate lives, Ronan and Robbie didn’t meet on set at all until they were on camera together—a decision Ronan calls a mutual “experiment”—and one that turned out to perfectly serve a tale of rivalry, isolation and oppressed female power.

    Saoirse, you signed on to play Mary six years ago, but what did you know about this story going into it?

    Saoirse Ronan: I didn’t know much, really. I learned a very small amount about Mary Queen of Scots when I was in school, and there was so much about her that had been entered into the history books that just wasn’t really true. So my perception of her was that she was this young girl who was way in over her head and didn’t really know how to rule, and consequently, she got executed eventually, which of course isn’t the real story at all. So when I finally did start to do research when I signed on to do the film years ago, I realized she came from a very well-respected yet very fiery family, the Stuarts, who had been ruling for hundreds of years. It was very exciting to know that there was another side to the story that hadn’t been told.

    Margot Robbie: I knew very little. I had an image of Elizabeth in my mind, the way we see her at the end of this film with the white face and the red lips and elaborate dresses. That tableau existed in my mind but I had very little context for it, so I really was starting at the beginning, and Josie was incredible at helping me put together a timeline, and gave me a catch-up of the history up until that point. It was fascinating because I just thought about the time period in a very different way. I’d assumed Elizabeth must have had a very easy life as a monarch, and quickly discovered that being a monarch actually meant your life was constantly in danger. And I think for Elizabeth that knowledge was deep-seated, and grew into paranoia over the years. You get to see that in the film as she does play her hand very cautiously. She is constantly calculating and mitigating the risks.

    Both women were often dismissed or controlled by men. Did you and Josie discuss this as a modern, topical piece?

    Saoirse Ronan: One of the things that Josie had said to me pretty much right away was that she wanted the film to feel quite young and youthful. And I think so often these films can feel a bit stodgy; something that isn’t really relatable to young people. What was really important for all of us to remember, especially for myself and the girls playing the four Marys [her ladies-in-waiting], was that they were 19-year-old girls, and they came back to Scotland and just took over. They had parties, music and dancing, and Scotland and the Scottish court wasn’t really ready for that. So that was something she really wanted to incorporate into our version of it. Also the idea—and I know Margot had this discussion with her too—that even if they were rulers, they were female rulers, and they were considered more so than anything to just be something that can produce an heir that will then take over from them, which is exactly what happened to Mary. As soon as her son was born, all of her power was taken away from her, but Elizabeth had the smarts to know that would be the case. I suppose it’s shining a light on women in power, and how it’s a much more complicated thing, even nowadays for a woman.

    Margot Robbie: It was clear that Josie wanted to inject an element of youth and acknowledge that they were very young people, but with huge responsibilities. But at the same time, they are exploring their sexuality and they’re falling in love, and they’re feeling insecure. On top of the high stakes of being a monarch at that time, there was the more simple problem of, “I’m in love with this person, are they going to love me back?” Which I thought was really fun, and I had a lot of fun exploring the relationship Elizabeth has with Joe [Alwyn]’s character [Robert Dudley]. In history, it’s recorded that Elizabeth made a weird request for her lover to go and marry Mary, which you see in the film. It was interesting to look at it through a political lens and try to understand, was there a calculated move there, or was she young and in love and feeling extremely insecure, and did something a bit stupid. When you have those conversations, you’re humanizing them, and realizing that they’re not so different to you and I, that they’re making mistakes and messing up, and that’s what makes them relatable.

    You had totally separate shooting schedules, except for your one scene together. How did that help you?

    Saoirse Ronan: It really helped me. It was Margot and I that both agreed from the very beginning that we didn’t want to see each other, and we thought it would be quite a fun experiment to try, because I had certainly never tried that before. Margot started before I did, and our meeting scene was the very first thing that I shot. To know in the three weeks that I had off, all of the English court stuff was being shot, and that this whole world was existing that I didn’t really know anything about was exhilarating. You were sort of guessing what they were up to, and who was in alliance with who, and it just meant that when we did finally do that meeting scene, we were acting definitely, but it was personal. It became a very, very emotionally loaded day for us.

    Margot Robbie: The isolation and the loneliness Elizabeth feels is definitely a huge part of her story, and I think it helped so much to know Saoirse and the four Marys had this amazing bond and they were always having so much fun. My character doesn’t have scenes where she can giggle and have fun. It was great, because I would sit there and just be thinking, “I just want to be hanging out with girlfriends and doing fun things.” I was sitting alone in a room doing things with flowers. It was about imagining what the other one is up to, and feeling that pang of envy.

    And I really think, at least in this iteration of Elizabeth, I wanted to play up the idea that she wanted to live vicariously through Mary, and loved hearing the way Mary ran her court. She loved hearing how Mary was falling in love, getting married, having a baby, and had all her friends and all her parties and was ruling in a way she knew she was never going to be capable of. Part of it was that Mary’s way was the wrong way, and was ultimately going to be dangerous to her. But on the other hand, Elizabeth was wishing it could be her.

    Did you find people reacted differently to you as the make-up became more extreme when Elizabeth had smallpox?

    Margot Robbie: It’s interesting. And it’s not just on this film. I’ve done films where I’ve played someone who’s pregnant, and it’s interesting that everyone unconsciously tries to help you step out of a door, or they move differently around you. They have this instinct to touch your belly, even though they know perfectly well it’s not real and we’re on a film set. And likewise, playing Elizabeth, when I would go to set in my track suit, we’d all chat about our weekends or whatever, and then I’d come back in full royal regalia, and suddenly everyone’s standing a little taller and saying good morning, and being timid. And then on the flip side, when she had smallpox, the makeup definitely looked painful. People looked away a little bit, like it was uncomfortable to look at Elizabeth, which is great, because it was a small glimpse of how she might have felt at the time.

    You’ve both consistently chosen complex, unconventional roles, and the only way to get more good female roles is to put more women in positions of power.

    Margot Robbie: Yes. It’s one thing to say we want to see women in these roles, but you need to be a part of the conversation when those choices are made, when who’s getting hired is the actual conversation. So, I think it’s really important that we have people in those positions who want to make those choices, and when it comes down to it, they actually do say, “Yes, I’m going to hire this person over this person who’s had more of an opportunity so I’ve seen more of their work.” I love that Working Title gave this movie to Josie. She’s obviously an amazing director in the theater world already, but I think it was incredible for them to say, “We want this to be her film, and we’re not going to make her go do a micro-budget indie drama.” Because that’s generally the only space up-and-coming female directors are allowed, and it’s really hard to go beyond that. I love that they’re like, “Yeah, here’s a movie with battle sequences, and a lot of money behind it, and a broader scope.” We just need people to be brave enough to make those choices, I think.

    Was there an inciting incident when you thought, “I’m going to have to become a producer or director to get the roles I want”?

    Saoirse Ronan: For me I think it was a slightly different thing because I started when I was young, so there wasn’t that pressure. But one of the things that I did experience during my teenage years, and every female warned me, “When you get to about 18, the roles just stop and nothing comes in and there will be nothing interesting out there.” And they were right.

    I definitely had a few years where I just didn’t work, really. I did little things, which was great. Or I took smaller parts, which I absolutely loved, and was so happy to do them. But, I made the decision to basically not work at all instead of taking something on that I didn’t believe in. Having said that, I was very lucky that I could do that because I was a kid and didn’t have bills to pay, or kids to look after, or any of that sort of stuff. But that was definitely something I experienced.

    Margot, you have your own production company, do you also plan to direct?

    Margot Robbie: Yes, our company is going really well. Next year will be a big year with the introduction of our TV show, and two, hopefully three, films. On an acting level, I really would love to do theater. I say that every year, and every year, somehow, I end up not getting a chance to do it. I do want to direct down the track. I just need a little more time.

    You’re also playing Sharon Tate in Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, how has that experience been?

    Margot Robbie: Sadly, I can’t say much. I’ll get in a lot of trouble!

    Saoirse, you’re shooting Little Women right now. What fresh ideas did you want to bring to the role of Jo?

    Saoirse Ronan: Jo is essentially Louisa May Alcott, and we wanted to honor Louisa as much as we did Jo, and Louisa’s real life. There’s obviously so much written about her character, either in her own work or in letters between her and her family that we’ve had access to. So I think it’s been about incorporating the character of the real-life Jo, essentially, into this version.

    And what’s next for you?

    Saoirse Ronan: I want to go back to the UK and do some stuff over there, and shoot in Ireland as well, and find really good Irish films to develop with Irish filmmakers.

    SAG Awards Nominations

    (12/13/18) The SAG Awards are January 27 at the Shrine Auditorium, simulcast live by Turner’s TNT and TBS. As previously announced, Alan Alda will receive the guild’s Life Achievement Award during the ceremony.

    MOTION PICTURES

    Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role

    AMY ADAMS / Lynne Cheney – “VICE” (Annapurna Pictures)

    EMILY BLUNT / Evelyn Abbott – “A QUIET PLACE” (Paramount Pictures)

    MARGOT ROBBIE / Queen Elizabeth I – “MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS” (Focus Features)

    EMMA STONE / Abigail – “THE FAVOURITE” (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

    RACHEL WEISZ / Lady Sarah – “THE FAVOURITE” (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

    Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts’ International Awards

    (12/12/18) The awards will be held on Friday 4 January 2019 at the Mondrian hotel in LA.

    AACTA International Award for Best Supporting Actress
    Amy Adams – VICE
    Emily Blunt – A QUIET PLACE
    Claire Foy – FIRST MAN
    Nicole Kidman – BOY ERASED
    Margot Robbie – MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS

    Lifetime Unveils Premiere Dates For Winter Movie Slate

    (12/4/18) Lifetime has unveiled the premiere dates for their robust slate of winter movies. From music icons to deadly cheerleaders to the daughter of a notorious mob boss, the network isn’t holding back when it comes to the drama — some based on true stories, some not — for 2019.

    Highlights of their slate include Love You to Death (January 26) starring Marcia Gay Harden, which is based on the true story of a mother and daughter who are nothing like they seem, their tumultuous relationship ending in a brutal murder. Also based on a true story is Escaping the Madhouse: The Nellie Bly Story (January 19) starring Christina Ricci. The movie is inspired by Nellie Bly’s undercover stay at the impenetrable Women’s Lunatic Asylum. For something a little lighter, there’s Olivia Newton-John: Hopelessly Devoted to You (February 16) which follows the personal and professional journey of the titular Grease icon. Lifetime acquired the biopic for its U.S. premiere.

    Other features on the slate include Victoria Gotti: My Father’s Daughter (February 9) which is executive produced by the real-life Victoria Gotti. Lifetime will also bring back the cult classic Death of a Cheerleader (February 2). The remake will see the return of Kellie Martin, who starred in the 1994 original.

    Lifetime has also acquired Best Friend’s Betrayal and My Mother’s Split Personalities for January. The network will feature five weeks of premieres every Saturday at 8 pm PT/ET, beginning January 19.

    See the complete list and summaries of the features below.

    Escaping the Madhouse: The Nellie Bly Story
    Starring Christina Ricci, Judith Light and Josh Bowman
    January 19

    The Lifetime feature is inspired by Nellie Bly’s undercover stay at the impenetrable Women’s Lunatic Asylum and stars Golden Globe and Emmy nominated actress Christina Ricci (Monster), two-time Tony award-winner, Golden Globe and Emmy nominee Judith Light (Transparent, The Assassination of Giannni Versace) as Matron Grady and Josh Bowman (Revenge).

    On a mission to expose the deplorable conditions and mistreatment of patients at the notorious Women’s Lunatic Asylum, investigative reporter Nellie Bly (Ricci) feigns mental illness in order to be institutionalized to report from the inside. The movie delivers an intense and fictionalized account of actual events surrounding Nellie’s stay beginning after Nellie has undergone treatment, leaving her with no recollection of how she came to the asylum or her real identity. Nellie’s unwillingness to submit to authority results in unspeakable torture at the hands of the head nurse, Matron Grady (Light). When Nellie captures the attention of Dr. Josiah (Bowman) who tries to help her, Grady’s barbaric tactics only intensify, leading Nellie to questions if she actually does belong in the asylum after all.

    A real-life hero, Nellie Bly’s expose was the first of its kind in America and inspired the global reformation of mental health care.

    Escaping the Madhouse: The Nellie Bly Story is executive produced by Howard Braunstein along with Ricci of Grey Team Productions. Michael Tive, David Sigal, Peter Werner and Jonathan Baruch of StoryBy Entertainment also serve as executive producers with Karen Moncrieff as director (Petals on the Wind) with a screenplay by Helen Childress (Reality Bites).

    Love You to Death
    Starring Marcia Gay Harden, Emily Skeggs and Tate Donovan
    January 26

    Inspired by a true story, Love You to Death is a shocking tale of a mother and daughter who are nothing like they seem, their tumultuous relationship ending in a brutal murder. Camile (Oscar winner Marcia Gay Harden, Fifty Shades features, Code Black, Point Blank) and Esme (Emily Skeggs, Miseducation of Cameron Post, Mile 22) are well-known in their community – Esme as the sickly, child-like wheelchair-bound daughter, and Camile as the perfect caretaker and mother. They seem a perfect pair until Camile is found stabbed to death in her home, and Esme has vanished, believed to be kidnapped by the killer. But when Esme is found, a terrible secret emerges. Esme was not kidnapped. Instead she ran away with her boyfriend (Brennan Keel Cook) after working with him to murder Camile. More than that, Esme is perfectly healthy, mentally and physically, and has been a victim of Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy, forced to believe she was ill by her controlling, abusive mother.

    Tate Donovan (The Man in The High Castle) plays Travis, Esme’s estranged father who tries to reconnect with his daughter, despite her mother’s objections.

    Marcia Gay Harden is repped by ICM Partners and Framework Entertainment.

    Love You to Death is produced by Sony Pictures Television and Davis Entertainment Television. Executive producers are Jordan Davis and John Davis. Alex Kalymnios directs from a script written by Anthony Jaswinski.

    Death of a Cheerleader
    Stars Kellie Martin, Aubrey Peeples and Sarah Dugdale
    February 2

    In a remake of the cult-classic, Death of a Cheerleader is inspired by Randall Sullivan’s Rolling Stone article of the same name about the real-life murder of a popular, affluent and beautiful Northern California high school cheerleader at the hand of a classmate. Bridget Moretti (Aubrey Peeples) is a shy outsider from a lower middle-class background who aspires to be beautiful, popular and perfect in everything. Believing that a friendship with rich and pretty Kelly Locke (Sarah Dugdale), leader of the school’s most prestigious clique, will get her all that she desires, Bridget tries to forge a friendship with her. When Kelly rejects Bridget’s attempts, it leaves her humiliated and feeling like a failure and ultimately fuels a jealous rage that will lead to murder. Death of a Cheerleader explores the events leading up to and after the shocking crime that took place in this upper-middle-class community.

    Kellie Martin, who starred alongside Tori Spelling in the original, plays the FBI agent who cracks the case.

    Death of a Cheerleader is produced by Just Singer Entertainment and Reunion Pacific Entertainment. Executive producers are Matthew O’Connor, Paddy Bickerton, Steve White and Sheri Singer. Paul Shapiro directs from a script written by Caitlin D. Fryers.

    Victoria Gotti: My Father’s Daughter
    Executive Produced and Narrated by Victoria Gotti and
    Starring Chelsea Frei and Maurice Benard
    February 9

    Executive produced by Victoria Gotti herself, the movie takes us deep into the world of what it was really like to grow up as the daughter of mob boss John Gotti, revealing the glamour, glitz and unique hardships of her world. Sharing never-before-revealed stories about her life, Victoria (played by Chelsea Frei) tells of a sensitive child growing up with a beloved father (Maurice Benard) she worried about constantly; the tragedy of her younger brother’s death; and her turbulent romance, forbidden by her father, with the man who later became her husband. Victoria had a front-row seat to a life the world became fascinated with, all while trying to reconcile the loving father she adored with a man the outside world was determined to bring down.

    Victoria Gotti: My Father’s Daughter is produced by Relevé Entertainment for Lifetime with Victoria Gotti, Jennifer Wachtell (The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks) and Holly Carter (Home is Where You Find It) executive producing. Catherine Cyran (The Prince & Me) directs from a script co-written by Victoria Gotti and David Schneiderman (Chasing Liberty). The film is based on Gotti’s book This Family of Mine: What It Was Like Growing Up Gotti. Victoria Gotti will appear on camera narrating her story.

    Olivia Newton-John: Hopelessly Devoted to You
    Starring Delta Goodrem
    February 16

    Olivia Newton-John: Hopelessly Devoted to You is the remarkable personal and professional journey of international superstar Olivia Newton-John, illustrated through her music. Covering her lasting power across more than five decades in one of the world’s toughest industries, the film delves into both Olivia’s public persona as well as the private woman behind-the-scenes, including her multiple battles with cancer and her intense fight to survive.

    Australian singer, songwriter and actress Delta Goodrem (House Husbands, judge on The Voice, Australia) stars as Olivia Newton-John and re-records her classic hits for the film. Hugo Johnstone-Burt (San Andreas, The Wrong Girl) is Bruce Welch and Todd Lasance (The Flash, The Vampire Diaries) plays Lee Kramer. Richard Brancatisano (Chasing Life) is featured as Matt Lattanzi, Anthony Brandon Wong (The Matrix Revolutions) is Patrick McDermott, Morgan Griffin (San Andreas, The Sleepover Club) is young Olivia, and Georgia Flood (American Princess, Wentworth) is young Pat Carroll.

    Olivia Newton-John: Hopelessly Devoted to You is produced by Fremantle with the assistance of Screen Australia and Film Victoria for Channel Seven. Lifetime has acquired the film for the U.S. premiere.

    JANUARY ACQUIRED MOVIES

    Best Friend’s Betrayal
    Starring Mary Grill, Vanessa Walsh, Jaime M. Callica
    Premieres January 13

    Best friends Katie (Mary Grill) and Jess (Vanessa Walsh) are inseparable and have always had each other’s backs. When Jess begins a new serious relationship with famous crime writer, Nick (Jaime M. Callica), Katie is unsure of this new seemingly perfect man. Katie wants to support her friend’s newfound happiness but is fiercely protective of her. But Katie’s obsession with Jess soon proves deadly and it is up to the recently vilified Nick to expose this supposed ‘best friend’ before it is too late. Best Friend’s Betrayal is produced by Reel One Entertainment.

    My Mother’s Split Personalities
    Starring Lindsay Hartley, Kayla Wallace, Jefferson Brown
    Premieres January 12

    After her father dies of a heart attack, Julie Price (Kayla Wallace) has returned home after two years of living in estrangement from her mother Gail (Lindsay Hartley). But Gail is not herself these days, acting bizarrely and under the control of Warren (Jefferson Brown), a highly intelligent criminal, who has become Gail’s boyfriend and is plotting to get his hands on a vast amount of money left behind by her dead husband. As Julie investigates the cause of her mother’s strange behavior, she gets closer to the truth about Warren, and a deadly game of cat and mouse begins, in which the dark criminal operator will do anything to protect his payday. It’s up to Julie to save her mother from not only Warren but also from her own split personalities and get her the help she desperately needs. My Mother’s Split Personalities is produced by Reel One Entertainment

    Margot Robbie didn’t understand sexual harassment before #MeToo

    (12/1/18) Margot Robbie recently learned about sexual harassment.

    “I didn’t know what constituted sexual harassment until the #MeToo movement,” the actress told Net-A-Porter in their December issue of “Porter.”

    “I’m in my late twenties, I’m educated, I’m worldly, I’ve traveled, I have my own business, and I didn’t know. That’s insane. I didn’t know that you could say ‘I have been sexually harassed’ without someone physically touching you, that you could say ‘That’s not OK.’ I had no idea. I now know because I’ve researched what constitutes illegal sexual harassment so as to have negative connotations for your job and how you get paid.”

    Robbie, 28, admitted that she has experienced harassment, but “not in Hollywood,” saying: “I struggle to find many women who haven’t experienced sexual harassment on some level. So yes, lots of times. And to varying degrees of severity throughout my life.”

    While she didn’t experience harassment on Martin Scorsese’s “Wolf of Wall Street” set, she did confess that shooting her infamous intimate scene was uncomfortable.

    “It doesn’t come across when you’re watching the movie, but in reality we’re in a tiny bedroom with 30 crew crammed in. All men,” she said. “And for 17 hours I’m pretending to be touching myself. It’s just a very weird thing and you have to bury the embarrassment and absurdity, really deep, and fully commit.”

    And now that she’s wrapped “Mary Queen of Scots” and “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” she’s relishing in her role as wife to Tom Ackerly, 28.

    “Being married is actually the most fun ever, life got way more fun somehow. I have a responsibility being someone’s wife, I want to be better,” she told the publication.

    But, don’t expect her to have children any time soon.

    “No!” she responded when asked if she was ready to have babies. “Definitely not. Three days ago my husband stopped by a dog shelter on the way back from the airport, and we now have a pit bull puppy. We already have a two-year-old who still acts like a puppy. I love him but he’s a handful, and for the last three days I haven’t slept. I’m like ‘we’re fostering her for the week’ and my husband’s saying ‘No! We’re keeping her’ and I’m saying ‘we absolutely cannot and if anything, you are now cementing in my mind that we cannot have kids. I can’t cope with two puppies, let alone children!’”

    “If I’m looking into my future 30 years from now, I want to see a big Christmas dinner with tons of kids there. But definitely not at the moment. That’s 100 percent certain.”

    Ashley Greene To Play Former ‘Fox & Friends’ Host Abby Huntsman In Roger Ailes Film

    (11/19/18) Ashley Greene has been added to the robust, all-star cast of the Jay Roach’s yet-to-be-titled Fox News project about the women who fought against network boss Roger Ailes and his toxic male culture. Greene is set to play former Fox & Friends host Abby Huntsman.

    Penned by Academy Award-winning screenwriter Charles Randolph (The Big Short), the Twilight alum joins a roster of actors who will step into the roles of other players in the Fox News Channel universe. John Lithgow takes the role of Ailes, Nicole Kidman will play Gretchen Carlson, Margot Robbie will portray producer Kayla Pospisil and Charlize Theron will appear as Megyn Kelly. Allison Janney will play trailblazing feminist lawyer Susan Estrich.

    The film will also feature Kate McKinnon, Mark Duplass, and Alice Eve. Elisabeth Rohm and Spencer Garrett will appear as Fox News hosts Martha MacCallum and Sean Hannity respectively. Alanna Ubach will play Fox News host Jeanine Pirro.

    Huntsman, daughter of U.S. Ambassador to Russia Jon Hunstman, joined Fox News as a reporter in 2015 and went on to co-host Fox & Friends Weekend a year later. She exited her post at Fox & Friends to join The View earlier this year, giving the daytime talk show a second conservative host to keep Meghan McCain company.

    BRON Studios is co-financing the production which is already shooting and Lionsgate is finalizing their domestic deal to distribute and co-finance; the studio is already selling foreign on the pic as Deadline exclusively reported from AFM. The project was originally set up at Annapurna.

    Greene is known for her role in the Twilight blockbuster franchise adapted from the popular YA novels. Her other credits include CBGB, James Franco’s In Dubious Battle as well as the DirecTV drama Rogue.

    She is repped by Gersh and Management 360.

    Michael Mosley on FBI 12/4/18

    (11/17/18) “Compromised” – After a key witness and a U.S. marshal are ambushed and killed, Maggie and OA must track down a man who leaked the information that led to their murders, on FBI, Tuesday, Dec. 4 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

    GUEST CAST includes: Michael Mosley (U.S. Marshal Paul Ackerman), Amber Skye Noyes (Amber Turner), David St. Louis (Jim Ruhde).

    Margot Robbie’s Luckychap & Dan Lin’s Rideback Team For ‘Barbed Wire Heart’ At Warner Bros.

    (11/14/18) Margot Robbie’s Luckychap and Dan Lin’s Rideback are developing Tess Sharpe’s novel Barbed Wire Heart for Warner Bros. Westworld scribe Carly Wray is adapting. The studio took film rights earlier this year. Robbie is not expected to headline.

    Barbed Wire Heart (Grand Central Publishing) follows Harley McKenna, the daughter of a meth-dealing killer who’s been groomed for the family business since she was 16. She squares off against the rival family who took her mother’s life and she must find a way to stand up to them and her fierce father without jeopardizing the lives of the abuse survivors in the women’s shelter she runs.

    Tom Ackerly is producing with Robbie under Luckychap Productions. Jonathan Eirich is producing with Lin under Rideback.

    Margot Robbie felt ‘alienated’ made up as Queen Elizabeth I

    (11/13/18) Margot Robbie‘s daily transformation into Queen Elizabeth I was an eye-opening experience for the actress.

    “It was very alienating. And I felt very lonely,” she told Harper’s Bazaar in an interview published on Tuesday. “It was an interesting social experiment.”

    Robbie, 28, plays the 16th century queen, who ruled England for almost 45 years, in the upcoming film “Mary, Queen of Scots.” She said her co-stars were even spooked to see her after spending three and a half hours in hair and makeup everyday.

    “I’d say, ‘Hey, how’s your weekend?’” the magazine’s cover star recalled. “But they wouldn’t even get close to me.”

    The actress dons a complete white face and bright red hair for the period film, which also stars Saoirse Ronan. Robbie wore a variety of wigs and prosthetic scars to document stages of Queen Elizabeth I’s struggle with smallpox.

    Robbie also spoke about how her looks dictated the acting jobs she received and no longer wanted to be in a typical supporting role.

    “I didn’t want to pick up another script where I was the wife or the girlfriend— just a catalyst for the male story line. It was uninspiring.”

    Robbie will also soon star in a “Suicide Squad” spinoff and Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon A Time in Hollywood.”

    Margot Robbie to play Barbie in new film

    (10/6/18) Actress Margot Robbie has reportedly signed on to play Barbie in a new movie.

    The film, based on the famed doll by Mattel, has been in the works since last year, when it was announced comedienne Amy Schumer would take on the lead role.

    She subsequently dropped out of the project and was reportedly replaced by Anne Hathaway, but she is no longer involved in the movie either, and the I, Tonya star has now stepped in as the lead.

    Margot will also produce the film for her company Lucky Chaps.

    Barbie had originally been slated to be developed for Sony Pictures, but studio bosses reportedly passed on the project, and executives at Mattel have since taken back the rights, according to Variety.

    A director for the Barbie film has yet to be announced.

    Margot Robbie & Matthias Schoenaerts To Star In WWII Thriller ‘Ruin’ For Justin Kurzel & MadRiver

    (9/5/18) Margot Robbie and Matthias Schoenaerts are attached to star in World War II thriller Ruin.

    Justin Kurzel (Assassin’s Creed) will direct Ryan and Matthew Firpo’s Black List topping-script. Marc Butan of MadRiver Pictures is producing alongside Kurzel.

    MadRiver’s Ara Keshishian is executive producing alongside Nik Bower and Deepak Nayar of Riverstone Pictures, who are co-financing. CAA Media Finance packaged the film and is handling the U.S. rights while IMR International will handle foreign sales.

    Set in the ruins of post-WWII Germany, pic will follow a Holocaust survivor (Robbie) who is forced to make an unlikely alliance with an ex-SS captain (Schoenaerts) in her quest to exact revenge. Together, they hunt down the surviving members of the captain’s former Nazi death squad. Principal photography is slated to begin Q2, 2019 in Prague. Gal Gadot had been in talks for the Robbie role 12 months ago.

    Robbie will next star as Queen Elizabeth I in Mary Queen of Scots for Focus Features alongside Saoirse Ronan. She is currently in production on Quentin Tarantino’s One Upon A Time in Hollywood and will next play Harley Quinn in the untitled Birds of Prey film for Warner Bros. Schoenaerts can next be seen in David Oelhoffen’s Close Enemies, which premiered at Venice, Thomas Vinterberg’s Kursk, which is heading to Toronto, and Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre’s Mustang, which is due out next year.

    Kurzel made his debut directing The Snowtown Murders, followed by Macbeth starring Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard.

    Robbie is represented by Management 360, CAA, Aran Michael Management, Attorney Jeff Bernstein and Narrative PR.; Schoenaerts is represented by CAA and UBBA in Europe; and Kurzel by CAA and Katie Richter in Australia. Ryan and Matthew Firpo are represented by UTA and LBI Entertainment.

    MadRiver’s production slate also includes What Is Life Worth with Michael Keaton; and James Gray’s Ad Astra starring Brad Pitt for Fox and New Regency. IMR titles at Toronto include Jacques Audiard’s The Sisters Brothers, Olivier Assayas’ The Wasp Network, and John Michael McDonough’s The Forgiven.

    Christopher Walken & Christina Ricci To Topline Anti-GMO Indie ‘Percy’

    (9/4/18) Oscar winner Christopher Walken and Christina Ricci are set to star in Percy, an indie film which is currently in production in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Clark Johnson (The Wire) is directing the pic from a script by Hilary Pryor and Garfield L. Miller.

    The film, based on events from a 1998 lawsuit, follows small-town Saskatchewan farmer (Walken) who challenges major conglomerate when the company’s genetically modified (GMO) canola is discovered in the 70-year-old farmer’s crop. As he speaks out against the company’s business practices, he realizes he is representing thousands of other disenfranchised farmers around the world fighting the same battle. Suddenly, he becomes an unsuspecting folk hero in a desperate war to protect farmers’ rights and the world’s food supply against what they see as corporate greed. Ricci will play anti-GMO activist Rebecca Salcau.

    Additional casting includes Roberta Maxwell as Percy’s wife; Adam Beach as Percy’s neighbor, Alton Kelly; Luke Kirby as Percy’s son; Martin Donovan as the conglomerate’s lead lawyer, Rick Aarons; Peter Stebbings as Rebecca’s NGO boss.

    Scythia Films’ Daniel Bekerman, Ian Dimerman, Brendon Sawatzky, Pryor, and Miller are producing the feature, which will also shoot in India.

    Ethan Lazar, William Santor, Andrew Chang-Sang, and Kevin Hoiseth will serve as exec producers.

    Walken and Ricci are both repped by ICM Partners, while Ricci is also a client of Untitled Entertainment. Johnson is repped by UTA.

    Kim Dickens To Star In Showtime’s ‘Queen Fur’ Drama Pilot; Five Series Regulars Cast

    (8/22/18) Fear the Walking Dead alum Kim Dickens has been tapped to star opposite Lily Mae Harrington In Queen Fur, Showtime’s drama pilot from writer Eileen Myers (Masters of Sex). Michael Mosley (Seven Seconds), Jon Foster (Like Father), Joshua Mikel (The Walking Dead), Keith Machekanyanga (Timeless) and Spencer Howell (Ithaca) also have been cast as regulars should the pilot go to series.

    Created, written and executive produced by Myers, Queen Fur is set in a small town in Central Florida – a place where beauty pageants, gun culture, Cuban revolutionaries and Southern hospitality co-exist and collide. And at the center of it all is Macy Dunleavy (Harrington) – a curvy, sexy, unapologetic high school dropout who is finding her womanhood and is ready to seize a big opportunity.

    Dickens will play Macy’s mom, a former local beauty queen.

    Mosley will play Todd, a local gun salesman. Mikel is Ryan, an associate of Todd. Foster will play Rob, Macy’s older brother, an ex-Marine plagued with anxieties. Machekanyanga will play Ralph, a small time criminal who fancies himself an entrepreneur. Howell is 9-year-old Jim, the youngest member of Rita and Macy’s family.

    Queen Fur is a co-production of Showtime and Sony Pictures TV. Sian Heder (Orange Is the New Black) will direct the pilot. Deb Spera (Army Wives) will serve as an executive producer with Myers.

    Dickens is coming off her role as Madison in Fear the Walking Dead. She shared in a SAG award nomination for Deadwood and has also starred or recurred in film and TV projects including House of Cards, Sons of Anarchy, Gone Girl, Treme, Friday Night Lights, The Blind Side, among others. She’s repped by Gersh.

    Mosley is set to reprise his role as Preacher Mason Young in season two of Netflix’s Ozark. He most recently starred as Detective Joe ‘Fish’ Rinaldi in crime-drama, Seven Seconds alongside Regina King, also for Netflix. His other credits include a starring role on USA Network’s Sirens and a recurring on ABC’s Castle. He’s repped by Gersh and Industry Entertainment.

    Mikel played Jared in seasons 7 & 8 of The Walking Dead and is set for a recurring role as Steven Conners in Black Lightning. He’s repped by J Pervis Talent Agency.

    Foster starred in Accidentally on Purpose, Windfall and Life As We Know It, and has also appeared in the films Rampart, Brotherhood, Stay Alive and The Door in the Floor.

    Machekanyanga’s credits include NBC’s Timeless and lead roles in Hyde Park’s independent feature Followers and AFI’s Outdooring. He’s repped by Abrams Artists Agency and Principal Entertainment Group.

    Howell first appeared on screen in the Meg Ryan-directed Ithaca.

    Sharon Tate’s sister thinks Margot Robbie is perfectly cast

    (8/14/18) “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” has no bigger fan than Sharon Tate’s sister.

    Debra Tate, who recently tweeted her support of the film, told TMZ that Margot Robbie is the perfect person to play her late sister.

    “Margot is an extremely dedicated craftsman,” she told the website in a video interview. “She’s a very dedicated actress. And yes, of course, she had lots of questions about Sharon and her take on Sharon and I’m very confident she’s going to give us everything we need.”

    Debra also credited the Oscar-nominated star for doing her research on the model-turned-actress who was gruesomely slain by the Manson family in 1969 when she was eight-and-a-half months pregnant.

    “I really liked Margot,” she explained. “She got everything. She’s very intuitive had done a lot of studying on her own and noticed very small nuances that I think most people wouldn’t get. She already had that, you know, prior to talking to me. And yes, we laughed, we cried, we went through the whole gamut. I think that this is going to be great.”

    While Debra previously trashed director Quentin Tarantino for not consulting her and stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt for viewing the film as nothing more than a “paycheck,” those gripes have now turned to effusive praise.

    “These actors are real people,” she told TMZ. “I don’t think Quentin could have done a better job. I think that people have to have a heart to do these roles,” she said.

    And in case there was any doubt how much she now supports the film, she added, “As far as I’m concerned this project couldn’t be more blessed.”

    Ashley Greene recalls nude beach romp with husband

    (8/2/18) Actress Ashley Greene fears she may have been breaking the law when she stripped off for a nude beach day on her honeymoon.

    The Twilight star and her new husband Paul Khoury found a “partially nude” beach in Hawaii and he persuaded his bride to bare all.

    “You kind of hike up behind this rock,” she tells TMZ. “I don’t know that it’s actually legal, but we were there early.”

    And Ashley reveals she made sure her man knew he would be in big trouble if there were any problems: “(I said), ‘If I get arrested and I miss my flight for this, I’m gonna kill you.’”

    The Twilight star and her husband jetted off to Hawaii after tying the knot in a star-studded ceremony in San Jose, California on July 6.

    Ashley seemed relaxed once she agreed to get naked on the beach, even sharing a black-and-white shot of herself sitting by the ocean, taken from behind, on social media.

    “He keeps me wild and free,” she captioned the shot, adding the hashtags “#nudebeach” and “#honeymoon.”

    Ashley also posted a sweet snap of the newlyweds kissing in front of a waterfall, which she captioned, “#bliss.”

    Paul also shared a photo of the actress on Instagram as he gushed about his new wife, who he first began dating in 2013 and proposed to in 2016.

    “I can’t describe the way this woman makes me feel,” he commented. “#MrsKhoury #honeymoon.”

    The couple wrapped up its romantic vacation at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. for the MLB Celebrity Softball Game, in which Ashley played alongside the likes of Jamie Foxx and Taylor Kinney.

    Margot Robbie In Talks For Annapurna’s Fox News Movie; Nicole Kidman Playing Gretchen Carlson

    (8/1/18) Deadline has confirmed that Margot Robbie is in talks to join Annapurna’s Fair and Balanced as a fictional Fox News associate producer named Kayla Pospisil. Robbie was nominated for a best actress Oscar last year for I, Tonya and will be next seen in Focus Features’ Dec. 7 release Mary Queen of Scots. Fair and Balanced is the working title, and it’s being billed as a feature that’s about the women of Fox News, not a Roger Ailes biopic per se. Logline: “The film will tell the story of the ensemble of women who took on the toxic male culture of Fox News and helped depose its chief architect.”

    PREVIOUS: Annapurna’s movie about disgraced Fox News mogul Roger Ailes, Fair and Balanced, is adding Nicole Kidman to play former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson opposite Charlize Theron’s Fox News host Megyn Kelly.

    Ailes launched Carlson and Kelly’s careers as anchors on the must-see conservative leaning network. Before his death two years ago, Ailes, who earlier in his career was a former media consultant for Presidents Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, resigned amid a sexual harassment allegations with Carlson and Kelly being the most prolific.

    Jay Roach is directing the project from a script by The Big Short screenwriter Charles Randolph.

    ‘Mary Queen Of Scots’ Trailer: Saoirse Ronan & Margot Robbie Revisit The Legend

    (7/12/18) (Video) Here is the first trailer for Mary Queen of Scots, starring Saoirse Ronan as the young monarch and Margot Robbie as her rival Queen Elizabeth I.

    The logline: The charismatic Mary Stuart (Ronan) had a turbulent life. Queen of France at 16 and widowed at 18, Mary defies pressure to remarry. Instead, she returns to her native Scotland to reclaim her rightful throne. But Scotland and England fall under the rule of the compelling Elizabeth I (Robbie). Each young queen beholds her “sister” in fear and fascination. Rivals in power and in love, and female regents in a masculine world, the two must decide how to play the game of marriage versus independence. Determined to rule as much more than a figurehead, Mary asserts her claim to the English throne, threatening Elizabeth’s sovereignty. Betrayal, rebellion and conspiracies within each court imperil both thrones – and change the course of history.

    Jack Lowden, Joe Alwyn, Gemma Chan, Martin Compston, Ismael Cordova, Brendan Coyle, Ian Hart, Adrian Lester, James McArdle, with David Tennant, and Guy Pearce also star. Josie Rourke directed the film from Beau Willimon’s script based on Queen of Scots: The True Life of Mary Stuart by John Guy. Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner and Debra Hayward are the producers.

    Focus Features opens Mary Queen of Scots in select theaters on December 7.

    Christina Ricci & Jane Krakowski on Match Game

    (7/10/18) “309” – A hilarious hour of non-stop BLANK is in store as Golden Globe® and Emmy® Award-winning actor Alec Baldwin hosts an all-new episode, THURSDAY, JUNE 28 (9:00-10:00 p.m. EDT), on The ABC Television Network, streaming and on demand. “Match Game” features four contestants each week vying for the chance to win $25,000 as they attempt to match the answers of six celebrities in a game of fill-in-the-missing-blank. “Match Game” is produced by FremantleMedia North America.

    Celebrity panelists for June 28:
    Jack McBrayer (“30 Rock”; “Wreck-It Ralph”; “Forgetting Sarah Marshall”)
    Jenifer Lewis (“black-ish”; author “The Mother of Black Hollywood”)
    James Van Der Beek (“Pose”)
    Ellie Kemper (“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”)
    Anthony Anderson (“black-ish”; host, “To Tell the Truth”)
    Kate Flannery (“The Office”; “All Night”)

    Joining the celebrity panelists are contestants Star Mitchell (hometown: Akron, Ohio), Amanda Morris (hometown: Merrimack, New Hampshire), Chris Capuano (hometown: Queens, New York) and Kristy D’Amelio (hometown: Sparta, New Jersey).

    Executive producers include Alec Baldwin, FMNA’s Jennifer Mullin, Scott St. John and Mallory Schwartz.

    Ashley Greene and Paul Khoury Are Married

    (7/6/18) Ashley Greene and Paul Khoury are officially married!

    The Twilight actress and Australian TV personality tied the knot on Friday in San Jose, California.

    Greene and Khoury wed in front of guests and famous friends including Liam Hemsworth, Zac Efron, Rob Pattinson, Brittany Snow, Lauren and Aaron Paul, and Evan and Ashlee Simpson-Ross, as reported by Brides magazine.

    The bride wore a custom back-bearing dress by Katie May for the ceremony, and later changed into a statement reception gown by Windi Williams-Stern, owner of Studio Unbiased.

    The couple exchanged vows they’d written themselves during the nuptials.

    During a vacation to Australia and New Zealand in December 2016, Khoury proposed at the bottom of Bridal Veil Falls. To announce the engagement, Greene shared footage of the exact moment Khoury got down on bended knee on her Instagram.

    “This is the most beautiful moment I could have ever hoped for,” Greene captioned the video. “You’ve successfully made me the happiest, luckiest woman alive. I can’t wait to show you my unfaltering immeasurable love for the rest of our lives. #engaged #loveofmylife #futurehusband.”

    Khoury, who is Hemsworth’s BFF, also shared the proposal video on his Instagram page with the caption: “I promise to put a smile on your face for the rest of our lives. You complete me in ways I didn’t even know was possible. I love you more than anything and excited to take this next step in life with you! #foreverlove #myfutrewife #ShesGonnaBeAKhoury.”

    Two months after the engagement, Greene told PEOPLE that not much had changed in their relationship since she and Khoury are “best friends.”

    “I look down at my hand every once in a while and I’m like, ‘Oh yeah, I’m engaged’ which is crazy, but as always, we’re keeping it easy and fun and not stressing about anything that’s to come afterwards—we’re just enjoying this moment,” she said.

    Greene said she and Khoury, who have been dating since 2013, try to make sure that they’re being adventurous and that Khoury is “extremely romantic.”

    “The great thing about him and I is that we have a great open line of communication about where we are, what we want and where we want to go in the future,” she said. “So I feel like we’re kind of going along this path that feels right for us.”

    In July 2017, Greene told PEOPLE that she wasn’t in a rush to get married and called herself “probably the most untraditional bride.”

    Khoury, who is Liam Hemsworth‘s BFF, also shared the proposal video on his Instagram page with the caption: “I promise to put a smile on your face for the rest of our lives. You complete me in ways I didn’t even know was possible. I love you more than anything and excited to take this next step in life with you! #foreverlove #myfutrewife #ShesGonnaBeAKhoury.”

    Last summer, the actress told PEOPLE she’s “probably the most untraditional bride” and that she and Khoury were enjoying being engaged.

    “I just want it to be fun for everyone involved versus it being this really strict wedding,” she said about their big day. “We’re at the age where a lot of our friends are getting married and many of them are stressed out. That’s just not how I want to enter into our union. We’re enjoying the honeymoon engagement stage.”

    Christina Ricci, John Cusack Make Virtual Reality Debut In 360 Degree Experience For Film ‘Distorted’

    (6/15/18) (Video) Two companies — Minds Eye Entertainment and Sky VR — have produced a scripted, live-action 360 cinematic VR experience tied to the release of the Christina Ricci and John Cusack film Distorted. To get an idea of what this means, click on the trailer above and you will be able to move the footage to see the entire film set (in its narrative form) while the video is playing. The VR drops today and the film releases on June 22nd.

    The thriller is just the latest film to have done this and for Ricci and Cusack, it’s their VR debuts. Although this is not the first film to get this kind of treatment, you gotta wonder, how does this all physically work with actors and crew?

    Well, first off, the VR portion was shot immediately after director Rob King filmed the live-action portion. The actors, which also included Brendan Fletcher, then re-shot for the VR camera and with more dialogue.

    How do you film in 360 degrees with a full crew? “Sometimes it’s a challenge. You do have to hide the crew because the audience can see everything and everywhere,” said one of the VR producers Travis Cloyd. “You have to make sure everyone is hidden so we have people hiding behind walls and whatever our natural sets allow.”

    Cloyd said they used 16, synchronized GoPro Hero4s filmed with the GoPro Odyssey and under Jump, which is Google’s professional VR video program.

    The result is pretty darn cool. If you click here and above, you will be able to move the entire trailer around 360 degrees.

    Cloyd has shot multiple films the 360 format, including The Recall with Wesley Snipes and The Humanity Bureau with Nicolas Cage. “I feel like it’s an amazing vertical and opportunity for anyone in this medium because it’s the first time in 100 years that the canvas has changed. With the 360 degree format, you can tell more stories and more of the story.”

    The VR experience was written and directed by King (the live-action director) and produced by Josh Courtney, Cloyd, Kevin DeWalt, Danielle Masters and Rob Bryanton.

    Distorted Reality is a 10-minute film that is going to be distributed through OneTouch VR on Google Daydream, Oculus Go and Oculus Rift, Samsung Gear VR, and iOs. It will also be available in stereo 3D on various platforms like the Littlstar app on Sony’s’ Playstation VR.

    “We’re excited to be one of the only groups facilitating A-list film star debuts in VR, and we hope that others will follow,” said Cloyd, who would not comment on the budget other to say, “it was done at a very good price.”

    Bridgegate Pictures Corp., Invico Capital and Talking Dog Studios also brought the VR portion to life and it was made possible through the Creative Saskatchewan Screen-Based Media Production Grant Program with participation of the Province of British Columbia Production Services Tax Credit Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit.

    Margot Robbie’s LuckyChap & Automatik To Produce True Tale ‘Firefighters’; ‘Westworld’s Carly Wray To Script

    (6/4/18) LuckyChap Entertainment and Automatik have teamed with Good Films to option Firefighters, based on Jaime Lowe’s New York Times Magazine article The Incarcerated Women Who Fight California’s Wildfires. Script will be written by Carly Wray, the Westworld and Mad Men writer/producer who recently was tapped to write one of HBO’s Game of Thrones spinoffs. Good Films will finance. The parties took the article off the table in competitive bidding.

    Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, Fred Berger and Rian Cahill will produce for Automatik, and Margot Robbie, Josey McNamara and Tom Ackerley will produce for LuckyChap Entertainment, with Scott Budnick producing through Good Films. Lowe will serve as executive producer.

    Film is based on the true story of a dozen female prisoners as they move from county jail to life in a Malibu fire camp. With only three weeks of training, the diverse crew must bind together not only to fight devastating blazes, but also their own personal demons and a system that seeks to keep them invisible. It is a task they signed up for, and get paid $2 an hour to risk their lives.

    LuckyChap Entertainment, which produced I, Tonya and recently wrapped (with Automatik) the Robbie-starrer Dreamland, is repped by Management 360, CAA, and attorney Jeff Bernstein. Wray is repped by WME and Grandview and Lowe by UTA and The Jud Laghi Agency. Automatik is in post on the Karyn Kusama-directed Destroyer with Nicole Kidman, the Chris Weitz-directed Operation Finale with Oscar Isaac and Ben Kingsley, and Dreamland.

    Good Films was launched by Budnick to fund films that will engender social change. He recently lobbied for the state of California to hire formerly incarcerated men and women into firefighting careers, and in January, Governor Brown included this program in the state budget, the first program created in California’s history to intentionally train and place released men and woman into careers where they will be fighting wild-land fires and saving communities. Endeavor Content is a lead investor in Good Films.

    The Brave Cancelled at NBC

    (5/12/18) Fortune didn’t favor The Brave.

    NBC has cancelled the freshman series, TVLine has confirmed, meaning there’ll be no Season 2 for the military drama.

    Though the show’s fans were vocal — particularly when it was the subject of one of our “Keep or Cut?” polls earlier this year — The Brave‘s ratings didn’t bear out: Averaging 4.6 million total viewers and a 0.9 demo rating, the Monday-night series had a tough time retaining The Voice‘s audience and out-rated only three other NBC dramas (Blindspot, on-the-bubble Timeless and the freshly cancelled Taken).

    In a tweet Friday, series creator Dean Georgaris thanked the show’s loyal fans.

    The Season 1 finale, which ended on a cliffhanger that found Demetrius Grosse’s Preach in a coma, aired January 29 and now will serve as the series finale.

    Quentin Tarantino Cast Thickens: Burt Reynolds To Star, Roth, Russell, Madsen Play Small Roles; Margot Robbie Confirmed As Sharon Tate

    (5/9/18) Quentin Tarantino is expanding the cast of his upcoming film Once Upon a Timie In Hollywood. He is in talks with Burt Reynolds to play George Spahn, and also in early discussions with his The Hateful Eight co-stars Tim Roth, Kurt Russell and Michael Madsen to play smaller roles in the film. They would join Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt, who are already set.

    Margot Robbie, who we first told you was Tarantino’s choice to play Sharon Tate in the movie set in Los Angeles in the summer of 1969 before the Manson murders were committed, has also been confirmed for the film, Sony has confirmed. The studio has set it for an August 9, 2019 release worldwide.

    Reynolds has a great role in front of him, maybe the best one the iconic Deliverance star has gotten since Boogie Nights. Spahn was an 80-year-old near-blind man who rented his L.A. ranch out to be used as the location for Westerns. Charlie Manson convinced Spahn to allow him and his followers to live on the ranch, in the months before they murdered Tate and six others. In exchange for rent, Manson coerced his female followers into hopping into bed with the ranch owner, and serving as his seeing-eye guides, per reports.

    Tarantino has provided the chance for film audiences to rediscover great actors from the ’70s who were largely forgotten about, from David Carradine to John Travolta, Pam Grier, Robert Forster and Michael Parks to name a few. What an opportunity he’s got here with Reynolds. I always loved this guy’s work growing up, and interviewed him when he released his memoir Enough About Me.

    I cannot recall enjoying an interview with an actor as much as I did Reynolds. He was so gracious in reliving everything from competing with Clint Eastwood for the title of Hollywood’s top star — Reynolds said he and Eastwood got fired at the same time from Universal early on, Eastwood for his prominent adam’s apple and Reynolds because the studio thought he wasn’t any good. Reynolds told Eastwood his friend had bigger problems because there wasn’t much he could do with his adam’s apple, but that Reynolds could always learn to act. His recounting of the killer roles he turned down, all the gorgeous women he romanced, all the injuries he suffered doing his own stunts, being hated by Marlon Brando because he made the actor insecure, becoming Johnny Carson’s permanent Tonight Show guest host, palling around with Bette Davis and hearing her wit and venom…suffice to say, there isn’t an actor who is as ripe to be rediscovered on the big stage as is Reynolds, who told me back then he was pining for just this kind of a chance for a comeback.

    Tarantino’s film has been referred to as a Pulp Fiction-like tapestry of stories with characters around L.A. that summer. Sony described the film as a story that takes place in Los Angeles in 1969, at the height of hippy Hollywood. The two lead characters are Rick Dalton (DiCaprio), former star of a Western TV series, and his longtime stunt double Cliff Booth (Pitt). Both are struggling to make it in a Hollywood they don’t recognize anymore. But Rick has a very famous next-door neighbor…Sharon Tate.” Deadline broke last July that Tarantino had met with Robbie to play Tate.

    It wasn’t clear what roles Roth, Russell and Madsen will play. Besides The Hateful Eight, Roth has starred in Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs, and Madsen starred in Reservoir Dogs and the Kill Bill films.

    The casting on Tarantino’s film that is about to go into production is important Cannes news. Tarantino loves bringing his films here, and it is impossible to imagine Once Upon a Time In Hollywood won’t be a huge title on the Croisette in 2019.

    Reynolds is repped by Abrams Artists and Link Entertainment; Roth is CAA and Jackoway Tyerman; Russell is CAA; and Madsen is BR Talent.

    NBC Orders Drama The Enemy Within

    (5/8/18) NBC is beefing up its slate for next season handing out a series order to The Enemy Within.

    The Enemy Within, billed as a “fast-paced, spy-hunting thriller,” stars Dexter alum Jennifer Carpenter as former CIA operative Erica Shepherd, who’s serving life in prison for betraying her country. She is recruited by FBI agent Will Keaton (Rosewood‘s Morris Chestnut) to “help track down a fiercely dangerous and elusive criminal she knows all too well.” The supporting cast includes Raza Jaffrey (Code Black, Homeland) and Kelli Garner (Pan Am); Ken Woodruff (Gotham, The Mentalist) will write and serve as an executive producer.

    Margot Robbie To Produce Female-Focused Shakespearean Drama Series With ‘Secrets & Lies’ Producer & ABC Studios Int’l

    (3/23/18) Margot Robbie and her LuckyChap Entertainment (I, Tonya) is partnering with the Australian Broadcasting Company, Aussie production company Hoodlum (Secrets & Lies) and ABC Studios International on a new ten-part series, retelling the work of Shakespeare from female perspectives. The project, currently in development, will be produced in Australia, with filming expected to begin in 2018.

    The untitled project will be led by a female creative team who will produce ten standalone episodes, each based on a celebrated work of Shakespeare updated to comment on our modern, global society. The project falls under the first-look deal between Hoodlum and ABC Studios International.

    Hoodlum, LuckyChap and ABC Studios International will work with female writers/writer­ directors to update the Bard’s works with unique and distinct voices, and reflect different cultures and areas. Series Concept Creator Giula Sandler (Nowhere Boys) will work across the series and will also write one episode.

    “We are thrilled about this Australian partnership as an opportunity to showcase unique, distinctly female voices in writing, and to demonstrate the high quality of the Australian film and television industry,” LuckyChap said in a statement.” The project will share diverse points of view, from writers representing the different cultures and areas within Australia, which many would not readily associate with works of Shakespeare.”

    Robbie and Brett Hedblom will executive produce via LuckyChap with Hoodlum’s Tracey Robertson and Nathan Mayfield, Keli Lee from ABC Studios International and Sally Riley from ABC (Australia). Aran Michael from Aran Michael Management is an associate producer.

    “The ABC is thrilled to be able to develop this locally produced drama in partnership with LuckyChap Entertainment, Hoodlum and ABC Studios International,” said David Anderson, Director of Entertainment and Specialist for the ABC. “The ABC is dedicated to delivering high quality, relevant storytelling free to all Australians. We are excited that this female-led team celebrates strong female creative talent, transforming traditional classic tales from a very different era into modern and culturally diverse stories.”

    Tracey Robertson from Hoodlum said: “This project will bring together leading and emerging female voices in Australian screen to re-imagine Shakespeare in a modern context. We’re delighted to partner with ABC, ABC Studios International and LuckyChap on such an ambitious and exciting project. This is an incredibly original and bold approach for a Television series and I can’t wait to see the stories that will emerge.”

    “ABC Studios International is thrilled to be a partner in this unique project, added Keli Lee, Managing Director at ABC Studios International. “This production is a chance to create something classic yet boldly original and modern. The works of Shakespeare are iconic and this will present them in a way they’ve never been seen before.”

    ABC Studios International, Hoodlum and the ABC previously teamed on crime drama series Harrow, which was co-created by Secrets & Lies writer Stephen M. Irwin and producer Leigh McGrath and written by Irwin.

    LuckyChap was behind I, Tonya. After its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, Neon and 30WEST jointly acquired the title for $5M and churned out close to $30M at the domestic B.O. as well as three Oscar noms for Robbie as Best Actress, Allison Janney for Supporting Actress and Best Film Editing, with Janney winning. LuckyChap recently produced the Vaughn Stein-directed title Terminal starring Robbie, Simon Pegg and Mike Myers, and also completed Dreamland starring the actress and Travis Fimmel. The label also recently sold the comedy Dollface to Hulu. Back in December it was announced that LuckyChap closed a two-year first-look deal with Warner Bros. Television.

    Disney Media Distribution will handle international distribution of the series outside of Australia.

    Margot Robbie Now In Negotiations To Play Sharon Tate In Quentin Tarantino Film

    (3/13/18) Deadline broke last July 11 that Quentin Tarantino had met with Margot Robbie and asked her to play Sharon Tate in his next film. She now has the offer and negotiations are underway to make it a reality. Robbie, who’s coming off her Oscar-nominated turn in the title role of I, Tonya, will join Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

    As Tarantino continues to set a killer ensemble, Sony Pictures has dated the film for an August 9, 2019 release worldwide. The film is a Pulp Fiction-esque tapestry set in Los Angeles in 1969, at the height of hippy Hollywood, around the time of the murder of Tate and several others in a killing spree ordered by Charles Manson.

    The two other lead characters are Rick Dalton (DiCaprio), former star of a Western TV series, and his longtime stunt double Cliff Booth (Pitt). Both are struggling to make it in a Hollywood they don’t recognize anymore. In the film Tate is Rick’s very famous next door neighbor.

    Robbie is repped by CAA, Management 360, Aran Michael Management and Jackoway Tyerman.

    Kelli Garner Joins NBC Pilot ‘The Enemy Within’

    (3/9/18) Kelli Garner (Pan Pam, The Aviator) has been cast opposite Jennifer Carpenter and Morris Chestnut in NBC drama pilot The Enemy Within, from writer Ken Woodruff, producer Vernon Sanders and Universal TV. Written and executive produced by Woodruff and directed by Mark Pellington, The Enemy Within is a character-driven investigative thriller set in the world of counterintelligence. It focuses on former CIA agent Erica Wolfe (Carpenter), the most notorious traitor in modern history and most hated woman in America, who is brought out of a federal supermax prison by the FBI to help stop some of the most dangerous acts of espionage threatening the United States today. Garner will play Kate Ryan, the FBI technical analyst on Keaton’s (Chestnut) team. Very smart, good at her job, hard-working and open-minded. Garner is repped by Gersh, Management 360 and attorney Adam Kaller.

    Margot Robbie says she once prank called Prince Harry

    (3/6/18) Oscar hopeful Margot Robbie has admitted she once made a prank phone call to Prince Harry.

    The ‘I, Tonya’ star – who is one of the favorites in the best actress for a lead category tonight – is known to have a wicked sense of humor.

    Australian beauty Robbie, 27, confessed that she made the call after being spurred on by Cara Delevingne while the duo were filming ‘Suicide Squad’ back in 2016.

    She said: “Cara knows Harry and while we were filming Suicide Squad she was like, ‘Let’s prank-call him’.

    “I said, ‘We can’t prank-call ­royalty’, but anyway we did — and he was so cool with it.

    “Prince Harry is so nice – England literally has the coolest royalty in the world.”

    The actress had previously met Prince Harry before her call though.

    She snapped a now-famous photo at a London party in 2015 alongside him, Suki Waterhouse, Cara Delevingne and Sienna Miller.

    The actress spoke previously about Harry’s upcoming nuptials to Meghan Markle on The Kyle & Jackie O Show back in January.

    Co-host Jackie ‘O’ Henderson asked the Gold Coast-born beauty to confirm if she was friends with him.

    “I wouldn’t say we’re close,’ she admitted.

    “We see each other every so often at a party here or there, but not close friends.”

    When asked if she would be attending the royal wedding, she wasn’t hopeful.

    “No, definitely not that close!” she insisted.

    But who knows? if she scoops the Oscar tonight then she might be heading to the wedding on May 19 in Windsor, England.

    Madonna’s Oscars bash is still the best party in Hollywood

    (3/5/18) Madonna’s party is still indisputably the place to be on Oscar night.

    The legendary bash was still raging at 5 a.m. after the ceremony.

    Sources told us the Material Girl — dressed in a leather dominatrix outfit, naturally, which matched the servers — was spotted dancing with newly minted Oscar winner Sam Rockwell and nominee Margot Robbie.

    Others at the party, held at Madge’s manager Guy Oseary’s mansion, included Jennifer Lawrence, Leo DiCaprio, Timothée Chalamet, Amy Adams, Chelsea Handler, Jennifer Aniston, Paris Jackson, Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis, Emma Stone, Greta Gerwig, Bradley Cooper, Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth.

    Cardi B performed.

    “Hottest after-after-party by far,” gushed a guest.

    Margot Robbie Sports Wagering Tale ‘Dangerous Odds’ Finds Big Roller In Bold Films

    (2/28/18) Bold Films will finance the Margot Robbie project Dangerous Odds in which the I, Tonya Best Actress Oscar nominee will play cleaning lady-turned-illegal sports betting empire boss Marisa Lankester. The project was picked up in turnaround from Warner Bros., where Robbie’s production company LuckyChap Entertainment has a first-look deal.

    The project is based on Lankester’s memoir Dangerous Odds: My Secret Life Inside an Illegal Billion-Dollar Sports Betting Operation, which originally was won by Warner Bros. in a January 2015 auction as exclusively reported by Deadline. LuckyChap and Entertainment 360, the production arm of Management 360, will produce with Bold, and the feature is based on a script by Andrea Berloff (Straight Outta Compton).

    Lankester’s rags-to-riches tale is set during the 1980s as she rises through the ranks and takes on a pivotal role establishing the first offshore gambling operation, growing it into a billion-dollar-a-year criminal empire.

    Said Bold Films Chairman Michel Litvak: “We are incredibly excited to work with Oscar-nominated actress Margot Robbie at this momentous time in her career. She will do an amazing job bring this thrilling true story and fascinating character to life.”

    Added Bold Films CEO Gary Michael Walters, who is serving as EP with Svetlana Metkina: “It’s a great character; it’s a female Scarface in the rise of this great criminal operation under the leadership of a very savvy woman. Margot Robbie is an extraordinary actress and couldn’t be hotter right now. She is so versatile and strong with comedy, drama and action — she really is the full package, and that’s rare. She’s built up a great production company with LuckyChap.”

    These type of independent films in the budget range of $25M-$35M are Bold’s sweet spot, and there’s a strong appetite for such fare in the current indie marketplace. Robbie’s film canon has reaped close to $1.9 billion at the global box office.

    “We are building LuckyChap off of a passion to tell female-driven stories that feel original, unique and rebellious in nature,” LuckyChap Entertainment said. “We found all of this in Marisa’s story and couldn’t be more excited to partner with Bold Films and 360 to bring Dangerous Odds to the screen.”

    LuckyChap Entertainment Principals Robbie, Tom Ackerley, and Josey McNamara will produce alongside Bold Films’ Litvak and Jon Oakes and Management 360’s Ben Forkner. Management 360’s Gabe Cohen, Chris Huvane and Jill McElroy are also EPs.

    LuckyChap was behind I, Tonya. After its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, Neon and 30WEST jointly acquired the title for $5M and churned out close to $30M at the domestic B.O. as well as three Oscar noms for Robbie as Best Actress, Allison Janney for Supporting Actress and Best Film Editing. LuckyChap recently produced the Vaughn Stein-directed title Terminal starring Robbie, Simon Pegg and Mike Myers, and also completed Dreamland starring the actress and Travis Fimmel. The label also recently sold the comedy Dollface to Hulu. Back in December it was announced that LuckyChap closed a two-year first-look deal with Warner Bros. Television.

    Robbie is repped by CAA and Management 360 and by Aran Michael Management in Australia. CAA also arranged the financing deal for the film and will rep its domestic distribution rights.

    Margot Robbie, Allison Janney honored for ‘I, Tonya’ roles

    (2/9/18) “I, Tonya” stars Margot Robbie and Allison Janney were honored as outstanding performers of the year at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.

    “She looked radiant in pink, much different from her Tonya [Harding] character,” a spy said of Robbie.

    “During the awards, they were showing a highlight reel of Margot and the sound cut out. She chuckled and said, ‘It’s a new silent film!’?”

    Janney revealed at the Belvedere-sponsored bash that she wanted to be a figure skater in high school.

    Margot Robbie’s ‘Terminal’ Acquired By RLJE Films

    (1/26/18) RLJE Films has acquired U.S. rights to Terminal starring newly minted Academy Award nominee Margot Robbie. Vaughn Stein directorial debut film is slated to open in theaters in spring 2018.

    “We’re excited to work with Margot Robbie, who not only stars in, but also produced this amazing film,” said Mark Ward, Chief Acquisitions Officer for RLJE Films. “With her passion for the project, Margot leads a talented cast who takes audiences for a mystery ride in this highly anticipated thriller.”

    “I am delighted and excited to be working with RLJE on Terminal, who share both our vision and passion for the film,” Stein said. “We are all extremely proud of Terminal and look forward to sharing it with the US audiences later this year.”

    The film also stars Simon Pegg, Mike Myers, Max Irons and Dexter Fletcher. Written by Stein, Terminal is set in the dark heart of a sprawling anonymous city and follows the twisting tales of two assassins carrying out a sinister mission, a teacher battling a fatal illness, an enigmatic janitor, and a curious waitress leading a dangerous double life. Murderous consequences unravel in the dead of night as their lives all intertwine at the hands of a mysterious criminal mastermind hell-bent on revenge.

    Robbie reunites with I, Tonya‘s Tom Ackerley to produce alongside Josey McNamara under their LuckyChap Entertainment banner. David Barron of BeaglePug, Highland Film Group’s Arianne Fraser, Molly Hassell and Teun Hilte will also serve as producers.

    Ward and Jess De Leo from RLJE negotiated the deal with CAA and Alana Crow at Highland Film Group on behalf of the filmmakers.

    2018 Oscar Nominations

    (1/23/18) ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

    SALLY HAWKINS
    The Shape of Water

    FRANCES MCDORMAND
    Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri

    MARGOT ROBBIE
    I, Tonya

    SAOIRSE RONAN
    Lady Bird

    MERYL STREEP
    The Post

    ‘I, Tonya’ Stars Margot Robbie & Allison Janney Set For Santa Barbara Film Fest Honors

    (1/20/18) A pair of I, Tonya stars will be skating into California’s Central Coast to accept some hardware next month. Margot Robbie and Allison Janney, who play Tonya Harding and her mother LaVona Golden in Neon’s awards contender, will receive the Santa Barbara Film Festival’s 2018 Outstanding Performers of the Year Award.

    The Critics’ Choice Award winners will be honored February 8 during a tribute at the Arlington Theatre. The 33rd SBIFF runs January 31-February 10.

    “Allison and Margot bring biting humor and an emotional resonance to their real-life characters in I, Tonya,” said Roger Durling, the festival’s executive director. “We are proud to celebrate them and their incredible contributions to cinema.”

    Robbie and Janney are regulars on this season’s awards circuit. Both were nominated for Golden Globes — Janney won — and are up for Spirit, SAG and BAFTA awards. Their darkly comedic film is based on the true tale of Harding, who rises through the ranks at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. Heading into the 1994 Winter Olympics, she was to face her American rival Nancy Kerrigan — until Harding’s husband tried to eliminate that threat.

    This year’s festival will also honor Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) with the American Riviera Award, Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird) with its Santa Barbara Award, Gary Oldman (Darkest Hour) with its Maltin Modern Master Award, Willem Dafoe (The Florida Project) with its Cinema Vanguard Award, and Daniel Kaluuya, Gal Gadot, Hong Chau, John Boyega, Kumail Nanjiani, Mary J. Blige, and Timothée Chalamet with its Virtuosos Award.

    Critics’ Choice Award Winners

    (1/12/18) BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY: Margot Robbie, I, Tonya

    2018 BAFTA Nominations

    (1/10/18) LEADING ACTRESS
    ANNETTE BENING Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool
    FRANCES McDORMAND Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
    MARGOT ROBBIE I, Tonya
    SALLY HAWKINS The Shape of Water
    SAOIRSE RONAN Lady Bird.

    The Brave's Mike Vogel Details Dalton's Jaz-Rescue Mission, the 'Really Tricky' Ramifications of a Possible Romance

    (1/8/18) Sure, The Brave‘s Sgt. Jasmine “Jaz” Khan is a badass who literally killed a terrorist mastermind with her bare hands in the NBC series’ fall finale. But the sniper’s considerable skill is little comfort to her team — especially its leader — in tonight’s episode (NBC, 10/9c), now that she’s in the clutches of the dead criminal’s violent thugs.

    To get a situation report (and, honestly, to feel out whether the whole lowkey Jaz/Dalton attraction is something that is actually happening, versus something we just want to happen), we chatted with series star Mike Vogel, who plays the beleaguered Capt. Adam Dalton. Read on for his thoughts on Jaz’s chances, Dalton’s concerns and the way a potential romance between the two could get “murky” real fast.

    TVLINE | What happens to Jaz seems to hit Dalton super hard, and this is a guy who has definitely lost people in the field, who has had a military career where bad things have happened. Talk to me a little about why, in your view, her capture was different for him.

    I think for him… he would’ve been messed up if it were any one, any one of his guys but there is a…there is that chivalrous thing, I think. And [his] being the leader of this group. Also, leading up to this, you have the previous episode that we left off on before the break, where after reprimanding her for making a bad judgement call, he puts her in quite possibly the riskiest situation that there is.

    And that’s what this unit does. Man, woman alike, they put it all on the line and they get a rush from the adrenaline and the danger of what they’re doing. But I think Dalton has that added weight of being the one who has to make the judgement call.

    TVLINE | Do you think he’s aware of the way that he’s acting in response to her being in peril, and how that might be different from what he’d do in other situations, or do you think he’s just kind of going with his gut the entire time?

    Well, I think he’s a guy that lives by his gut and dies by his gut. In that realm of things, you have to trust that above all else. Are people going to want there to be, “Well, he’s going after Jaz because she’s his long-lost love —”

    TVLINE | Hell yeah, there are people who are going to want that!

    [Laughs] Here’s the thing. This is what we have to tease, but we also have to be very careful of: If there were feelings for Jaz, it’s a very murky circumstance, because it’s against protocol. And this is the whole reason of why people get into debates of men and women in mixed units, and so Dalton and Jax — if there are those feelings, they can certainly play it safe. It’s really tricky if they ever act on them.

    TVLINE | He’s her commander, as well, so that complicates things further, right?

    There’s that layer as well. That’s what I’m saying. Could it be bad, as well? It absolutely could be. If he is letting that be the motivator as to why he’s going after Jaz and to why he’s risking it all to go get her — [though] I think he would do it for any of the people under his command — but certainly there is an added immediacy. I think it’s also this: She has just been captured by a terrorist organization that doesn’t necessarily treat women with the utmost respect.

    TVLINE | Right.

    There are so many different levels. Again, it’s that whole thing where chivalry comes in a lot. You know, [Dalton’s] natural tendency is to go, “You know what? Capture me. Beat me to snot and torture me all you want. She doesn’t deserve this.” And so it’s all of those factors playing into this — and also realizing she is tough as nails. The stuff that Dalton had seen her do and go through over the time that they have worked together, you know, he’s not just blowing smoke when he says, “I’ll take her in any of these situations because I trust her.” She’s proven herself time and again… I think you tell yourself, “If this ever happens, I’m ready for it.” As a commander, you’ve got to ask yourself those questions [about what you’d do] if she’s captured under your watch. But then it happened, and now you’ve really got to confront it. It’s where the rubber hits the road, and it’s a tough one.

    Australia’s International Awards Winner

    (1/6/18) AACTA International Award for Best Lead Actress
    Margot Robbie, I, Tonya

    Margot Robbie casually reflects on the time she found a severed foot

    (12/20/17) Margot Robbie‘s 2014 trip to Nicaragua included a grisly sight.

    During a recent Hollywood Reporter roundtable discussion with Armie Hammer, Bryan Cranston, Diane Kruger, Octavia Spencer and Robert Pattinson, the “I, Tonya” star casually revealed she once stumbled upon a severed human foot on the beaches of Central America.

    “I recently did a film, and the director asked if everyone could write down the craziest thing that has happened to them in their lives,” the 27-year-old actress explained. “I had spent two months with this group of people, probably about 60 people, and everyone seems super normal. And then everyone had to write down the craziest thing that happened to them, and it was released on the last day, and you had to guess whose story matched up with who. It just reminded me that fascinating people are everywhere.”

    Robbie said no one guessed which story was hers.

    “I once found — and no one guessed that this was me — I found a human foot on the beach in Nicaragua,” Robbie said. “Just a little souvenir.”

    While Cranston, 61, quipped, “and she uses it as a doorstop,” Robbie shared there were other intriguing tales besides her own.

    “Someone had been engaged to the princess of Zanzibar. Someone had been in a plane crash where only 10 people survived. It just reminds you that there are fascinating stories everywhere,” she said. “Everyone has a story.”

    Margot Robbie can finally ice skate again

    (12/20/17) Margot Robbie learned to ice skate for “I, Tonya” and loved it, but she hasn’t donned skates since, something she said she’s hoping to change over the Christmas break.

    The actress says ice antics are prohibited by most movie contracts for insurance reasons, and she’s been shooting all year.

    Now that her work on three upcoming films is done, though, Robbie says getting back on the blades is part of her holiday plans.

    “I want to get back on my skates over Christmas,” she said. “I have been consistently under contract this year and I haven’t been allowed to ice skate.”

    Besides giving the actress a new sport to enjoy, her training for “I, Tonya” led to an awards-worthy result: The film racked up three Golden Globe nominations and two Screen Actors Guild Awards last week.

    Margot Robbie on becoming Tonya Harding for ‘I, Tonya’

    (12/20/17) I, Tonya star-producer Margot Robbie had a soft spot for the real-life person that inspired the dark comedy.

    The 27-year-old Aussie actress met with Tonya Harding, now 47, before she donned numerous prosthetics and wigs to play the disgraced American figure skater forever linked to the 1994 knee-clubbing of her rival Nancy Kerrigan.

    “It was amazing — I just spent a couple of hours with her before we started shooting,” Harding told Postmedia Network on the red carpet ahead of its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival last September.

    “I didn’t know it was a true story,” she added later to reporters. “I had never heard of Tonya Harding. I knew nothing about the figure skating world.”

    And Robbie, who broke out big with her Harley Quinn role in 2016’s Suicide Squad, doesn’t buy the haters who said she was too pretty to play the tougher-looking Harding.

    Good thing as she’s now getting Oscar buzz for the role (she was nominated for a Golden Globe) and TIME Magazine just named her of 2017’s 100 Most Influential People with a glowing essay written by her Wolf of Wall Street director Martin Scorsese.

    “I think everyone’s version of her they have in their head is really not doing her justice,” said Robbie.

    “But it was never about replicating her every single feature. It was more about embodying the spirit of Tonya. The Tonya I played, anyway, was so reactionary, so in-the-moment, so raw, feels everything when it happens. Tonya has that humanity in spades.”

    Robbie, who played Harding at the ages of 15, 21, 24, and 46, also did four months of training five days a week to perform five different skating sequences in the movie and there were also body doubles.

    “I got a neck injury while we were shooting,” said Robbie. “I got a herniated disc in my neck ironically enough trying to do the triple-axel segment (that Harding became known for). I could train for 10 years and not try that. I mean we couldn’t get a skating double to do it. No one can do the triple axel. To this day, it’s like the Holy Grail. It gave me a world of appreciation for what they do.

    “It’s a hard sport. It’s really, really hard.”

    The film also looks unflinchingly at the physical and verbal abuse that Harding suffered from both her mother, LaVona, (played by Golden Globe-nominated Allison Janney) and her ex-husband Jeff Gillooly (a very good Sebastian Stan, who also met his real-life counterpart who legally changed his last name to Stone).

    “(Margot) was very committed and there was a trust there, especially in the physical stuff,” said Stan. “I couldn’t really think of anyone else that could be playing her.”

    Explaining the film’s sympathetic take on Harding, Australian director Craig Gillespie (Lars and the Real Girl) said even though the Kerrigan attack was planned by Gillooly and Harding’s bodyguard Shawn Eckardt. it’s Harding who’s “literally been a punchline for years.”

    In real-life, she claimed to not know about the attack in advance and only pled guilty to hindering prosecution of the attackers.

    “Obama made a joke about it two years ago that he was going to go ‘Tonya Harding’ on somebody,” said Gillespie. “It’s as current now as it was then.”

    Now, several decades later, Harding was invited to walk on the I, Tonya red carpet in L.A.

    “I know that (Tonya) was very happy with the movie,” said Stan. “I can’t tell how people will react. I’m certainly curious to see how people will feel afterwards for her, in some way. But I think they’ll understand how damaged her past was.”

    I, Tonya opens in Toronto theatres Friday and expands across Canada on Jan. 5.

    ***********************

    Quinn is in!

    Margot Robbie is as excited about playing Harley Quinn again as you are about seeing it.

    There are said to be no fewer than four Quinn projects in the works — the Suicide Squad sequel, a Harley/The Joker spinoff, a Gotham City Sirens movie and a separate Quinn spinoff that Robbie recently confirmed to MTV.

    The short answer is Robbie is game to wield Quinn’s baseball bat again.

    “Hopefully, I’ll be playing Harley again next year,” Quinn told reporters.

    “I don’t know if that’s Suicide Squad 2, I don’t know if that’s Birds of Prey, Sirens, Harley/The Joker, I don’t know. At this stage, I think everyone’s just hoping to find something.”

    In the meantime, Robbie just filmed Mary, Queen of Scots playing the titular character’s cousin: “I can’t think of a woman who’s more polar opposite than Tonya Harding than Queen Elizabeth I. She’s got her walls up. She doesn’t let anything get to her because she’s cut herself off from that humanity.”

    Margot Robbie channels her inner animal for role in ‘I, Tonya’

    (12/13/17) Margot Robbie discovered her inner animal while preparing to play Tonya Harding in “I, Tonya.” But she won’t reveal much more about the savage experience.

    While she had a skating coach to learn techniques on the ice, she also worked with a movement coach doing “animal work, which, for the first few hours of, you feel like an idiot because you are running around making horse noises or whatever,” she told guests at a lunch at the Rainbow Room on Wednesday. But, “Actually it really, really helped so much .?.?. Picking an animal for Tonya and studying animals as much as studying her.”

    So what animal did Robbie choose to help portray the complicated ice queen?

    “It’s a weirdly personal thing,” the star told us.

    Grr.

    The well-reviewed film’s received nominations for Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild awards.

    Robbie learned she was nominated for the SAG Award for outstanding lead female performance on Tuesday when she was taping ABC News’ “Popcorn With Peter Travers.”

    ‘I, Tonya’ Stars Margot Robbie And Allison Janney On Their Knock-Down Mother/Daughter Fights During The Film – The Contenders Video

    (12/13/17) (Video) With nominations now from the Golden Globes, Critics’ Choice, and the SAG awards, I, Tonya’s Oscar chances are looking good, but it all started for the film early last month when stars Margot Robbie, Allison Janney and Sebastian Stan, along with director Craig Gillespie and writer Steven Rogers appeared in front of a packed house of AMPAS and key guild voters during Deadline’s 7th Annual The Contenders awards season event at the DGA Theatre.

    Robbie, who also was a producer, said she had never heard of scandal-ridden Tonya Harding or the incident in which she caused injury to skating competitor Nancy Kerrigan, and she thought that gave her a pair of fresh eyes in which to view the story. She waited to meet Harding until she had the way she was going to approach the role firmly in mind. Janney, who plays her domineering mother says the role was written for her by Rogers, and talks in detail about doing intense fight scenes with Robbie. Rogers wasn’t planning on doing this movie until he saw a documentary about Harding and husband Jeff Gillooly and noticed they didn’t agree on anything during their separate interviews. That not only convinced Rogers about the structure of the screenplay in which we see the tale told from Roshomon -like different perspectives, but it also gave Gillespie the key to making this very dark comedy.

    Check out our conversation above.

    SAG Awards Nominations

    (12/13/17) Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
    JUDI DENCH / Queen Victoria – “VICTORIA & ABDUL” (Focus Features)
    SALLY HAWKINS / Elisa Esposito – “THE SHAPE OF WATER” (Fox Searchlight)
    FRANCES McDORMAND / Mildred – “THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI” (Fox Searchlight)
    MARGOT ROBBIE / Tonya Harding – “I, TONYA” (Neon)
    SAOIRSE RONAN / Lady Bird McPherson – “LADY BIRD” (A24).

    Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Nominations

    (12/12/17) Winners will be announced in Los Angeles on Jan. 5 at The Avalon Hollywood.

    Best Lead Actress
    Judi Dench – VICTORIA & ABDUL
    Sally Hawkins – THE SHAPE OF WATER
    Frances McDormand – THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI
    Margot Robbie – I, TONYA
    Saoirse Ronan – LADY BIRD.

    Margot Robbie On What Projects Are Next & How ‘I, Tonya’ Speaks To Today’s World – Golden Globes Reaction

    (12/12/17) Like a figure skater batting their way to the Winter Olympics, today’s three Golden Globe nominations for I, Tonya in the best comedy, actress and supporting actress (Allison Janney) category are hard-won accolades for Margot Robbie, who both produced and starred in the movie about the controversial ice skating champ Tonya Harding.

    While Robbie is waiting to see which big feature goes into production first for her, read Quentin Tarantino’s untitled Manson movie, Suicide Squad 2 or Gotham City Sirens; she’s caught the producing bug and is busy with her LuckyChap label which recently sold two TV series, is developing 13 features, and in post production on two feature productions, Terminal and Dreamland.

    When Robbie first read Steve Rogers screenplay for I, Tonya and pitched him and the project’s producer Bryan Unkeless for her to produce and star, she was smitten with the script’s unconventional Greek tragic hero tale, and aimed to keep the production indie. This despite the fact that Robbie has reaped great success as a marquee star in such big movies as Suicide Squad, The Legend of Tarzan and The Wolf of Wall Street and could easily walk I, Tonya into any major studio.

    “We ended up taking a lot less money to maintain creative control. I don’t think this script in its entirety would have survived the studio system,” says Robbie.

    “I, Tonya broke the rules with its informal structure: it was a mockumentary, it broke the fourth wall with unreliable narrators,” says Robbie who completely transformed herself into the blue-collar, over makeup-ed, hard-cussing Harding, “When the studio system tries to appeal to the masses, there’s a tendency to shave off the sharp edges. But the true beauty in I, Tonya is its rough edges. It’s scrappy like the people in the film.”

    I, Tonya follows Harding’s ascent from life with a low-income, abusive mother to her glory as a figure-skating champ and downfall in her plotted attack against rival Nancy Kerrigan Harding was the first woman to pull off two triple Axels in a single competition, however, the skating association never appreciated her given her blunt demeanor and low-income upbringing. Robbie prepared for the role by watching every bit of Harding footage that was out there and even taking figure skating lessons. It was only a week before production that she decided to meet up with Harding.

    “I just wanted to meet her, just as a person, and just out of respect to her because I was telling her story,” Robbie told Deadline co-Editor-in-Chief Mike Fleming, Jr., “I wanted to make sure I had made all of those (prep) decisions before I met her, because I didn’t want to meet her and then feel obliged to sugarcoat anything.”

    “I loved the line in the film: ‘She doesn’t fit in, she stands up’. That encompassed her defiance to me: What the figure skating association wanted her to be, what society wanted her to be, the vulnerability of wanting love; she was complicated. All the characters are underdogs forcing themselves into position where they weren’t welcomed. I was enthralled with that,” said Robbie.

    Neon and 30West jointly acquired I, Tonya out of its Toronto International Film Festival premiere for $5M. The film opened this week at four locations in New York and Los Angeles to a great $61K theater average and will widen as awards and Olympic season heats up in the New Year.

    Says Robbie, “It’s one of those films that people relate to in different ways whether it’s because they remember the incident at time, or it’s their frustration at society today with everything that’s going, from being disenfranchised to the media and how we consume it — there’s a lot of bigger issues at play in the film.”

    75th Golden Globes Nominations

    (12/12/17) BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – MUSICAL OR COMEDY
    JUDI DENCH, VICTORIA & ABDUL
    HELEN MIRREN, THE LEISURE SEEKER
    MARGOT ROBBIE, I, TONYA
    SAOIRSE RONAN, LADY BIRD
    EMMA STONE, BATTLE OF THE SEXES

    San Francisco Film Critics Award Winners

    (12/10/17) Best Actress: Margot Robbie, I, Tonya

    New York Film Critics Online Announce Award Winners For 2017

    (12/10/17) Best Actress: Margot Robbie, I, Tonya

    Critics' Choice Awards 2018 Nominations

    (12/6/17) The live ceremony airs Thursday, Jan. 11 at 8/7c on The CW

    BEST ACTRESS
    Jessica Chastain – Molly’s Game
    Sally Hawkins – The Shape of Water
    Frances McDormand – Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
    Margot Robbie – I, Tonya
    Saoirse Ronan – Lady Bird
    Meryl Streep – The Post

    BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
    Tiffany Haddish – Girls Trip
    Zoe Kazan – The Big Sick
    Margot Robbie – I, Tonya
    Saoirse Ronan – Lady Bird
    Emma Stone – Battle of the Sexes.

    Margot Robbie’s ‘boss moment’

    (12/3/17) Margot Robbie doesn’t only star as Tonya Harding in “I, Tonya” — she produced the project.

    “I had a boss moment the other day. I was doing a press conference and they keep asking me what it was like to be married, and I said, ‘Being married is not my achievement. My achievement is producing this film and having a producing deal with a major studio — that is my achievement.’ And everyone shut up after that. It was really nice.”

    On playing Harding, she told us, “It was an interesting time to reflect on media and how we as a society kind of eat up what we are given and what we are told in these little sound bites, and you pass judgment so quickly. So I have learned not to judge so quickly.”

    Margot Robbie has ‘newfound respect’ for ice skaters

    (11/29/17) Margot Robbie — who trained for four months to play Tonya Harding in “I, Tonya” — says she has “a deep and newfound respect for ice skaters.”

    “It was really hard and I did fall a bunch — but it was also extremely fun,” she told us at the film’s Calvin Klein-sponsored premiere. “I had an amazing trainer who has worked with a lot of professionals. She was incredibly patient with me .?.?. It’s kind of like ballet. Half the art to it is making it look so effortless, when really it takes an extraordinary amount of power and strength and agility.”

    Her co-star Sebastian Stan, who plays Harding’s ex, Jeff Gillooly, chimed in: “I’m not going on ice. I’ve never been on ice. I have this big fear that I am going to fall and trip and then some kid is going to slash my wrists off. It’s very dramatic.”

    Christina Ricci & Judith Light To Star In ‘Nellie Bly’ Movie In Works At Lifetime

    (11/29/17) Lifetime has given the green light to Nellie Bly (working title), a psychological thriller inspired by the groundbreaking 19th century journalist, with Christina Ricci (Monster), Judith Light (Transparent) and Josh Bowman (Revenge) attached to star. The film is in production for 2018 premiere on Lifetime.

    Ricci plays investigative reporter Nellie Bly, who’s on a mission to expose the deplorable conditions and mistreatment of patients at the notorious Women’s Lunatic Asylum, and feigns mental illness in order to be institutionalized to report from the inside. The movie is an account of actual events surrounding Nellie’s stay beginning after she has undergone treatment, leaving her with no recollection of how she came to the asylum or her real identity.

    Nellie’s unwillingness to submit to authority results in unspeakable torture at the hands of the head nurse, Matron Grady (Light). Bowman plays Dr. Josiah, who tries to help Nellie, but the attention prompts Grady’s barbaric tactics to intensify, leading Nellie to question if she actually does belong in the asylum after all.

    A real-life hero, Nellie Bly’s expose was the first of its kind in America and inspired the global reformation of mental health care. The story also spawned the 2015 movie 10 Days in a Madhouse based on Bly’s book, which starred Caroline Barry as Bly. An untitled drama project based on the book also is in development by Entertainment One, James Bond film producers Danjaq and The Frederick Zollo Company, with Kate Mara attached to star and executive produce.

    Ricci also executive produces via Grey Team Productions along with Howard Braunstein of Howard Braunstein Films. Michael Tive, David Sigal, Peter Werner and Jonathan Baruch also serve as executive producers with Karen Moncrieff directing (Petals on the Wind) from a screenplay by Helen Childress (Reality Bites).

    The Bly role marks Ricci’s return to Lifetime following her praised performance in limited series, The Lizzie Borden Chronicles and the prequel movie, Lizzie Borden Took An Axe. Ricci received an Emmy nomination for outstanding guest actress for her role as Hannah Davies in ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy and most recently starred in Amazon’s Z: The Beginning of Everything.

    Ugly Betty alum Light currently plays Shelly Pfefferman on Transparent. She’s been nominated for three Primetime Emmys, two for Transparent and one for Ugly Betty, and she won a Daytime Emmy for her performance in One Life To Live.

    Bowman is known for his starring role as Daniel Grayson on Revenge and most recently appeared as John Stevenson on Time After Time.

    Spirit Award Nominations

    (11/22/17) The ceremony will air live on IFC from the Santa Monica beach on March 3 hosted by Nick Kroll and John Mulaney for a second year in a row.

    BEST FEMALE LEAD

    Salma Hayek - Beatriz at Dinner

    Frances McDormand - Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri

    Margot Robbie - I, Tonya

    Saoirse Ronan - Lady Bird

    Shinobu Terajima - Oh Lucy!

    Regina Williams - Life and nothing more

    Sony Pictures Confirms Quentin Tarantino Deal; Margot Robbie, Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio Circling

    (11/17/17) UPDATED with Sony confirmation: Sony Pictures chief Tom Rothman just validated Deadline’s morning scoop that the studio won worldwide rights on Quentin Tarantino’s new film, the first of his long career to not be directed for either Miramax or The Weinstein Company. This email was just dispersed internally on the Culver City lot.

    Dear Colleagues,

    I am pleased to report that late last night, Sony did indeed succeed in securing the worldwide rights in all media to Quentin Tarantino’s next epic film. I was looking forward to sharing the news with you all myself this morning, but unfortunately the story leaked.

    Bottom line: Quentin chose Sony over many other competitors. And he did this because of all of YOU! He remembers well the outstanding job the company did on Django, and was particularly impressed last week by the presentation of our marketing and distribution capabilities, both domestically and internationally. I’m grateful to all who worked to make this happen and confident that we will do a great job for him on this film and others to come.

    It’s a real credit to the studio and to each of you.

    Congrats,

    Tom Rothman

    Chairman Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group

    EARLIER EXCLUSIVE, 4:58 AM: Sony Pictures has won the derby to finance and distribute #9, the working title of Quentin Tarantino’s next film, sources said. The film is set in Los Angeles in the late ’60s and early ’70s, with Tarantino hoping hard that Margot Robbie will play the role of Sharon Tate. Just about every studio in town except Disney chased it, along with several financiers looking to fund the entire film, and mini-majors seeking domestic rights. The deal came after a long night of bargaining between Sony and Tarantino’s reps at WME.

    The film is an ensemble, and Tarantino has had conversations with Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio for the two main lead male roles. It is unclear if all three will be in the movie, or two of them, when Tarantino begins production next year, but it certainly looks like Tarantino will have a star cast here. The picture is being produced by Harry Potter’s David Heyman, Tarantino, and Shannon McIntosh, with Georgia Kacandes will be exec producer and line producer.

    This has been the biggest skirmish over a project this side of the derby for international and ancillary rights to the James Bond film that is still going on right now (domestic rights will go to the joint venture between MGM and Annapurna).

    It is a big get for Sony’s Tom Rothman and his production chief Sanford Panitch, and I’m told Tarantino sparked to Rothman’s deep knowledge of film history. Few can hang with Tarantino in that regard, but Rothman held his own and the studio chased this one hard. Rothman has overhauled Sony’s position as an international distributor, and Sony Pictures will have world rights on Tarantino’s film. Also important was a marketing campaign presented by Josh Greenstein and his team. Since Tarantino spent his whole career making movies in one place, there is every reason to imagine that if he enjoys this experience, he might well make his final film at Sony. This film’s working title comes from this being the ninth film for the director, who has pledged that he will stop at 10. That means one final film after this one.

    The bidding came down to all the majors but Disney. Fox backed away during the week, and aside from Sony, Warner Bros and Universal, others circling included Annapurna and Lionsgate for a domestic deal that would require the international sales effort that went into The Hateful Eight. Also knocking were several pure equity financiers.

    After making every movie in his directing career for Miramax and The Weinstein Company, Tarantino made the hard decision to look for a new home for his upcoming film. Tarantino planned to make this film with TWC, but those plans imploded with the scandalous removal of Harvey Weinstein after the revelation of a litany of nightmarish stories about forced sexual encounters with dozens of actresses and women who worked for the company. So The House That Quentin Built — as Weinstein often called his company because of the out-sized success of Tarantino-directed pictures that included Pulp Fiction, Inglourious Basterds and Django Unchained — is in the process of being sold off, and despite Tarantino’s loyalty to the 170 or so staff there that helped make his movies successful, he had little choice but to exit.

    There has been a lot of press that the script focuses on Charles Manson and the murder spree he orchestrated, but I’m told that is akin to calling Inglourious Basterds a movie about Adolf Hitler, when the Nazi leader was only in a scene or two. Deadline broke months ago that Robbie had been asked to play Manson murder victim Tate.

    The film will be set in Los Angeles and begin production in mid-2018 for a 2019 release, and it will be an R-rated film, like all Tarantino’s directing efforts. Those who’ve read it said the script has heart and a strong commercial appeal, and if there is a film of Tarantino’s it can be best compared to, it would be Pulp Fiction, which also was set in Los Angeles. The film will carry a budget in the range of Django Unchained.

    Kat Dennings To Star In Hulu Pilot ‘Dollface;’ ‘I, Tonya’s Margot Robbie, Bryan Unkeless Producing

    (11/17/17) Kat Dennings has found her next series vehicle after 2 Broke Girls. She is set to star in Dollface for Hulu. She plays a young woman who, after being dumped by her long-time boyfriend, must metaphorically re-enter the world of women, and rekindle the female friendships she left behind. Jordan Weiss is the writer, creator and executive producer. Veep‘s Stephanie Laing will direct the pilot and be a producer. 2 Broke Girls ended last May after six seasons, and after setting a record for the richest off-network syndication deal when it sold to TBS.

    The catalyst here as producers are Margot Robbie and Brett Hedblom from LuckyChap Entertainment and Bryan Unkeless and Scott Morgan from Clubhouse Pictures. They just produced together I, Tonya, the Craig Gillespie-directed black comedy about the rise and fall of Olympic figure skater Tonya Harding that will be released next month by 30WEST and NEON after becoming the biggest sale at the Toronto Interntional Film Festival. LuckyChap and Clubhouse will produce the Hulu show alongside Management 360’s Nicole King, and Dennings.

    Dennings is repped by Management 360, UTA and Harris Hartman; LuckyChap by Management 360, CAA and attorney Jeff Bernstein; Weiss is repped by CAA and Mosaic; Laing by CAA.

    This is the first TV project for LuckyChap Entertainment as well as Clubhouse Pictures, latter of which is repped by Eric Suddleson.

    ‘I, Tonya’ Trailer: Margot Robbie Goes For Gold In Dark Comedy Biopic

    (11/1/17) (Video) Things get messy in Neon’s newly released trailer for the Craig Gillespie-directed Tonya Harding biopic I, Tonya, starring Margot Robbie as the disgraced Olympic figure skater. “America, they want someone to love but they want someone to hate,” Robbie’s Harding character says in the NSFW video.

    Harding was the first American woman to complete a triple axel in competition, though that achievement has been overshadowed by her association with the infamous, ill-conceived attack on fellow Olympic competitor Nancy Kerrigan.

    The trailer also features Allison Janney as Harding’s unaffectionate, foul-mouthed mother LaVona Golden. “I made you a champion knowing you’d hate me for it. That’s the sacrifice a mother makes,” Janney’s character asserts.

    Sebastian Stan, Paul Walter Hauser, Julianne Nicholson, Bobby Cannavale, and Mckenna Grace co-star. The film premiered at TIFF and will open in NY and LA December 8.

    Steven Rogers wrote the screenplay and also produced with Robbie, Bryan Unkeless, and Tom Ackerley. Exec producers are Len Blavatnik, Aviv Giladi, Vince Holden, Toby Hill, Gillespie, Zanne Devine, and Rosanne Korenberg.

    Check out the trailer above.

    Karl Urban & Ashley Green To Star In ‘Snowblind’

    (10/27/17) Karl Urban, Ashley Greene and Forrest Goodluck have been set to star in Snowblind, a psychological thriller adapted from the Dan Roff novel that will mark the feature directorial debut of Marcus Alqueres, whose visual effects credits include 300, Rise of the Planet of the Apes and The Adventures of Tintin. Written by Hank Woon, the pic centers on a U.S. Ranger haunted by painful memories of a family tragedy who becomes stranded with his platoon in a remote chalet in the woods. As they fight for survival and against their own inner demons, they find a box filled with $5 million and a dark, disturbing secret. The Coalition Group’s Johnny Wunder and Luisa Iskin developed the project and will produce with Traveling Picture Show Company’s Carissa Buffel, Kevin Matusow and Steve Prince under their new alliance and alongside Ground Control’s Scott Glassgold. 13 Films will introduce the film to international buyers at next month’s American Film Market. UTA is repping U.S. rights. Alqueres is repped by UTA and Ground Control, Urban by UTA and Johnson and Laird Management, Greene by CAA and Management 360, and Goodluck by Gersh and Principato-Young Entertainment.

    ‘I, Tonya’ Teaser: Margot Robbie As Tonya Harding Dark Comedy Hits The Ice

    (10/20/17) (Video) With the Winter Olympics on the horizon, the timing of the release of I, Tonya (it opens beginning December 8 in New York and Los Angeles) couldn’t be any more perfect — and now with the first teaser, we have the first look at the sensational take on the story of polarizing U.S. figure skater Tonya Harding and the attack on Nancy Kerrigan before the 1994 Winter Olympics that captivated a nation.

    Directed by Craig Gillespie (Lars and the Real Girl, The Finest Hours) from a script by Steven Rogers, I, Tonya premiered at the Toronto Film Festival, where Neon and 30WEST walked away with a deal for the dark comedy based on the headline-making sports scandal of the ’90s.

    The film has been gaining traction on the festival circuit and is poised to be an awards season favorite — Robbie just earned a Gotham Award this morning for her portrayal of the titular Tonya, while Allison Janney’s performance as her abusive mother is also generating buzz.

    Check out the teaser trailer above, in which Aussie Robbie shows off her best Oregon City accent.

    2017 Gotham Awards Nominations

    (10/20/17) Best Actress
    Melanie Lynskey in “I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore” (Netflix)
    Haley Lu Richardson in “Columbus” (Superlative Films/Depth of Field)
    Margot Robbie in “I, Tonya” (NEON)
    Saoirse Ronan in “Lady Bird” (A24)
    Lois Smith in “Marjorie Prime” (FilmRise).

    Margot Robbie didn’t think she was sexy enough for ‘Wolf of Wall Street’

    (9/29/17) It was her breakout Hollywood role but Margot Robbie thought she wasn’t sexy enough to play a blonde bombshell in “The Wolf of Wall Street.”

    “I was just terrified that people would see the movie and think ‘eugh! She’s not that great,’” Robbie said, of her “high-tempo sexy” character “Duchess” Naomi alongside Leonardo DiCaprio in the Martin Scorsese-directed biopic.

    “When I was playing Naomi in ‘The Wolf of Wolf Street‘ it was so high-tempo sexy,” Robbie said.

    “I was acutely aware that the line in the screenplay was ‘the hottest blonde ever,’ I’m clearly not the hottest blonde ever.”

    The Australian actor, 27, has posed in a racy shoot for Wonderland magazine, shot by director Gia Coppola, for her latest role playing disgraced American figure skater Tonya Harding in “I, Tonya” — a movie Robbie also produced.

    In contrast to her “Wolf of Wall Street” character, Robbie said “the worse I looked the happier people were on the set of ‘I, Tonya.’ ”

    The former “Neighbours” star admitted Hollywood’s obsession with looks was “frustrating” to deal with.

    “All the reading, all the acting coaching, and then someone reviews the movie or interviews you and all they do is focus on the aesthetics,” she told Wonderland.

    “You think, ‘f–k you. You’ve totally discredited the work I did and it’s not fair.’”

    The Brave: Five Things to Know About NBC's Two-Pronged Military Drama

    (9/24/17) To explain the genesis of NBC’s upcoming military drama The Brave, series creator Dean Georgaris invokes not the strategic genius of Sgt. Major Jonas Blane or the war-is-hell mentality of Capt. Benjamin “Hawkeye” Pierce, but the poor choices made by one Walter White.

    “I don’t come from a military family. I don’t have a political axe to grind. I don’t have a particular fascination with death, but I am fascinated with human resiliency and human ingenuity,” Georgaris (Life of Pi) tells TVLine. After watching documentaries about American Special Forces teams, “I was continually impressed with their ingenuity. I was continually impressed with their resiliency,” the EP says. “I would read story after story where the missions almost sounded like episodes of Breaking Bad, in that what started off with one simple decision leads to all these complications.”

    That concept — that the men and women who execute undercover, elite missions all over the world often have to innovate on the fly when plans fall apart — eventually became The Brave, which debuts Monday, Sept. 25, at 10/9c. Georgaris and his team created a fictional paramilitary unit that works all over the globe, using the players’ intelligence, weapons knowledge, language prowess and cultural skills to set bad situations right. Meanwhile, back in the United States, a group of analysts provides real-time backup and much-needed technical support to the unit in the field.

    We got Georgaris to give us some intel on the premiere of the series, which stars Mike Vogel (Under the Dome) and Anne Heche (Hung). Read on for what you need to know about the new NBC drama.

    THE TEAM | Vogel plays Capt. Adam Dalton, leader of a squad of what the show’s official site refers to as “highly trained undercover specialists.” These include Sgt. Jasmine “Jaz” Khan (played by Natacha Karam), a sniper; CPO Ezekiel “Preach” Carter (Demetrius Grosse, Banshee); Sgt. Joseph “McG” McGuide (Noah Mills, 2 Broke Girls), a combat medic; and Amir Al-Raisani (Hadi Tabbal, The Blacklist), an intelligence officer. Dalton’s team is backed by the Defense Intelligence Agency’s deputy director Patricia Campbell (Heche) and her employees, which include Noah Morgenthau (Tate Ellington, Quantico), a cultural specialist; and Hannah Archer (Sofia Pernas, Jane the Virgin), mission coordinator.

    LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION | Though the series premiere takes place in a Middle Eastern country, Georgaris stresses that evil doesn’t respect national borders — aka, it’s everywhere. So the show will take Dalton’s gang all over the world in Season 1. “NBC could have said, ‘OK, stay in these four locales, and that’s safest for budget. That’s easiest on everyone,'” the executive producer adds. “But they said… ‘We want missions on five continents,’ and I said, ‘Sounds good to me!'”

    CLOSER THAN YOU THINK | Though Dalton’s team and Campbell’s people won’t often physically cross paths, it will happen at least a few times in the first season. “In general, it’s this interesting intimacy, almost like news producer and news anchor, like the people who are in your ear and the people who are out in the field,” the EP notes. “A lot of our drama will come from what it’s like to be on either end of that connection.”

    ALL IN A DAY’S WORK | Rather than denote specific episodes to flesh out characters’ backstories, Georgaris says, the writers have decided to let the team’s missions do the work of filling us in on who these people are. For example, Amir has a surprising — and rather dangerous — work history that will be revealed when he’s thrust back into a prior role. “Amir comes from a history of service to the CIA, and basically is a lone wolf, deep penetration agent in ISIS,” Georgaris says. “There is an episode where that identity gets reactivated, so he has to go back to the world that he left… and what you’ll come to learn is why has Amir chosen to do this? What made this wealthy, Lebanese-born Muslim from a very successful, not very religious practicing family, what made him decide to fight for his religion at the age of 22?” WHAT LIES BENEATH | In the premiere, we learn that Heche’s Campbell recently lost her son, who was in the military. Georgaris teases that Vogel’s Dalton will play into the grieving director’s backstory. “They have a very deep respect for one another. They have a long-standing work relationship with one another. He knew her son,” he says. “And they actually have a natural chemistry, the two actors and characters, that I think will leave people wondering: Was there a personal history [between Campbell and Dalton] in the past?”

    Margot Robbie On Playing Tabloid Olympic Figure Skater Tonya Harding As Tragic Hero In ‘I, Tonya’: Toronto Studio

    (9/10/17) (Video) One of the more refreshing pieces of cinema here at the Toronto International Film Festival among the gravitas, and one of the more intriguing titles up for sale is I, Tonya, the comedy-drama that Margot Robbie produced and stars in as fallen Olympian figure skater Tonya Harding.

    Last night’s premiere drew great laughs and applause with many buyers in attendance. If you thought Robbie could get ugly as the Joker’s g.f. Harley Quinn in Suicide Squad, she takes grit to another level in I, Tonya as she escapes onscreen into Harding’s hard-nailed, trailer trash punk persona. Then there’s Allison Janney who does a complete 180 from her Emmy-winning turn on CBS’ Mom and steals the show playing a different kind of mom as Tonya’s chain-smoking, abusive, hysterically outspoken, fur-wearing matriarch LaVona.

    “I love one of the first things that (screenwriter) Steven (Rogers) told me about this part when he said he wrote it for me was that I get to play this woman who lives in a trailer basically, wears a fur coat, and has a bird on her shoulder, I was like ‘I’m in! I’m in!’ I want to play this woman,” says Janney.

    The tabloid incident about Harding, her husband Jeff Gillooly and their flunkies who conspired to injure rival figure skater Nancy Kerrigan gets more than the Lifetime treatment here in I, Tonya as we see Harding stripped down. She battled against a harsh upbringing, a violent husband and mother, and snobby skating judges to ensure that her skating talent shined. To this day, the two-time Olympian and two-time Skate America champion stands as the first female skater, and second overall, to complete the feat of a triple axel jump in competition.

    In a little more than a year, Robbie and the pic’s producers Tom Ackerley and Bryan Unkeless got Steven Rogers screenplay for I, Tonya up and running and here to TIFF, a story that Deadline broke exclusively back in March of last year. In our above interview, the cast and creators breakdown their process. Rogers wrote his screenplay based off interviews with Harding and Gillooly, while director Craig Gillespie, Robbie, and Sebastian Stan got to meet the notorious reckless couple.

    “I wanted to meet her to kind of say that I’m going to create a character. Wherever this film takes us, this is not me trying to replicate you,” says Robbie about Harding, “It was interesting to hear her perspective on things that we thought we knew. It’s always going to sound different from the person who it happened to.”

    Margot Robbie Steps Out for I, Tonya World Premiere at the Toronto Film Festival

    (9/9/17) (Pic1, Pic2) Margot Robbie looked as radiant as ever at the world premiere of I, Tonya.

    The actress, 27, is at the Toronto International Film Festival promoting the film in which she stars as infamous ice skater Tonya Harding, whose ex-husband tried to sabotage her rival Nancy Kerrigan leading up to the 1994 Winter Olympics.

    For her red carpet appearance, the Australian star opted for a long sleeved blue gown with embroidered flowers.

    The film follows Harding’s battle for supremacy in the ice and then her very public fall from grace after rival Kerrigan was attacked.

    The incident made headlines for its brutality and captivating tale of rival ice princesses. Kerrigan was attacked by a hitman after an Olympics practice session, with the intent to break her leg and sideline her for the Winter Games.

    Hired by Harding’s ex-husband Jeff Gillooly (played by Sebastian Stan) and her bodyguard, the hitman struck while cameras were rolling, making the attack wildly publicized and known for the grueling moment captured on camera in which Kerrigan sits on the floor crying while repeatedly asking, “Why?”

    Robbie wore a body suit and face prosthetics to look more like Harding for the role. She made headlines in January when she was spotted on set looking exactly like the disgraced former figure skater.

    I, Tonya is expected to arrive in theaters in 2018.

    Z: The Beginning of Everything Cancelled at Amazon, Reversing Season 2 Renewal

    (9/7/17) On second thought, Amazon is cutting Zelda Fitzgerald’s story short. The streaming service is reversing its Season 2 renewal of Z: The Beginning of Everything, instead cancelling the Christina Ricci series.

    Per The Hollywood Reporter, the decision to cut bait on the period drama comes as the streaming service looks to reduce spending on original programming in 2018. A writers’ room had previously been opened for Season 2, with a reported $7 million already spent on preproduction.

    A network opting to cancel a series months after it’s been renewed isn’t unprecedented. HBO infamously renewed rock-and-roll drama Vinyl for a second season just days after its low-rated Feb. 2016 launch, only to reverse course just three months later.

    Z: The Beginning of Everything‘s first (and only) season was released on Amazon on Jan. 27.

    Chris Hemsworth, Margot Robbie push for gay marriage in Australia

    (8/24/17) Chris Hemsworth and Margot Robbie are voicing their support of same-sex marriage in Australia.

    “Dear open minded, free speaking, laid back, life loving Aussies,” Hemsworth, 34, shared on Instagram Wednesday. “Marriage is about love and commitment and, in a country based on equal citizenship, it should be available to everyone! Vote now for marriage equality.”

    Robbie, 27, shared a similar message on her Instagram account saying, “Love is Love,” she started. “Any Aussies living overseas like me, register to vote… before August 24.”

    Wednesday marks the final day Australians who want to enroll in the postal survey can register, according to ABC.net.au.

    Postal ballets will be received by September 12. It’s suggested that ballots are returned by October 27 with a final return date of November 7.

    The results will be announced on November 15.

    John Requa & Glenn Ficarra Circling Margot Robbie Harley Quinn Spinoff Movie

    (8/24/17) Busy week for news in Gotham City. John Requa & Glenn Ficarra are in talks to write, direct and produce the Suicide Squad spinoff movie that is will have Margot Robbie and Jared Leto reprising their roles, she playing Harley Quinn and he playing her demented boyfriend The Joker. This comes a day after Deadline revealed that Warner Bros/DC have Todd Phillips writing with Scott Silver and producing with Martin Scorsese a new origin story about The Joker, a film that will cast a different actor in the signature villain role. DC has been all over the place with possible movies, and this one is apparently different from Gotham City Sirens, a different Harley Quinn spinoff meant to showcase several top female villains from the DC stable which Suicide Squad director David Ayer is attached to direct. Robbie is aboard that project as exec producer. This comes as the film she produced, I, Tonya, in which she plays disgraced Olympic figure skater Tonya Harding, is shaping up to be arguably the most coveted acquisitions title of the upcoming Toronto Film Festival. Her portrayal as Harley Quinn was a major bright spot in Suicide Squad, as a nurse who loses her soul after falling for the charms of her Joker boyfriend.

    The new movie focuses on that toxic relationship. While Suicide Squad brought about fanboy ire, the movie grossed nearly $750 million worldwide. Warner Bros/DC are developing a Suicide Squad sequel (Jaume Collet-Serra was going to direct it until he moved on to the Dwayne Johnson-starrer Jungle Cruise at Disney), and that is a high priority for Warner Bros and DC.

    Requa and Ficarra wrote Bad Santa, but their directing efforts have been mostly financial misses. Most recently they directed Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, and before that, they directed Focus, another movie that wasn’t a success but which got them to work with Robbie. They also helmed Crazy, Stupid, Love. They wrote Cats and Dogs and its sequel. This ought to give them an opportunity to score a hit movie as Warner Bros and DC continue to try and figure out their superhero universe plans. Robbie is repped by CAA and Management 360, the filmmakers are repped by CAA.

    Margot Robbie Looks Unrecognizable as Queen Elizabeth I on the Set of Mary, Queen of Scots

    (8/21/17) (Pic1, Pic2) Great Scott!

    With flame red hair and a blotchy complexion, Margot Robbie got into character as Queen Elizabeth I for Focus Features' Mary, Queen of Scots in Goldthorpe, England, over the weekend. Robbie, who was photographed in and out of costume on the set of the movie, also appeared to be wearing a prosthetic nose to resemble the Virgin Queen, who ruled from 1558 to 1603; John Mathieson officially photographed Robbie's co-star, Saoirse Ronan, in costume last week.

    Production on the Working Title Films production, directed by Josie Rourke, began late last week in the U.K. Starring Ronan in the titular role, Joe Alwyn, Martin Compston, Brendan Coyle, Jack Lowden, Guy Pearce and David Tennant round out the cast. The period drama is based on John Guy's popular biography My Heart Is My Own: The Life of Mary Queen of Scots.

    Beau Willimon wrote the adapted screenplay. "Mary, Queen of Scots explores the turbulent life of the charismatic Mary Stuart. Queen of France at 16 and widowed at 18, Mary defies pressure to remarry. Instead, she returns to her native Scotland to reclaim her rightful throne. But Scotland and England fall under the rule of the compelling Elizabeth I," the studio said in a press release. "Each young Queen beholds her 'sister' in fear and fascination. Rivals in power and in love, and female regents in a masculine world, the two must decide how to play the game of marriage versus independence. Determined to rule as much more than a figurehead, Mary asserts her claim to the English throne, threatening Elizabeth's sovereignty. Betrayal, rebellion, and conspiracies within each court imperil both thrones—and change the course of history."

    Working Title co-chairs Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner are producing the film with Debra Hayward.

    In addition to Rourke and Willimon, the behind-the-scenes team working on the film includes costume designer Alexandra Byrne; editor Chris Dickens; director of photography John Mathieson; production designer James Merifield; and makeup/hair designer Jenny Shircore.

    "We are privileged to be collaborating with our partners at Working Title on this stellar production, and with Josie as she makes the exciting move from stage to screen work," Focus Features chairman Peter Kujawski said. "With two of today's most vital actresses bringing to life two female titans, Mary, Queen of Scots will be one of the movie events of 2018."

    ‘Goodbye Christopher Robin’ Trailer: First Look At Winnie The Pooh Origin Story

    (8/4/17) (Video) Fox Searchlight has released the first trailer for its awards-season play Goodbye Christopher Robin, the origin story of Winnie The Pooh that traces the children’s classic’s creation by author A.A. Milne.

    Domhnall Gleeson stars as Milne, whose experiences in World War I shaped the creation of the storybook bear and his friends, which Milne based on his son Christopher Robin’s toys. The enchanted tales brought hope and comfort to a battered England and a battered Milne after the war. The film also doesn’t shy away from his post-war PTSD — during that time, they called it being ‘shellshocked’ — and portrays the halting impact trauma can have on the psychology those who have seen combat (about 30% of combat veterans have been diagnosed with PTSD).

    The Simon Curtis-directed pic also touches on the toll the books’ success had on Milne and his family — son (Will Tillson) and wife Daphne (Margot Robbie) were also thrust into the spotlight. Kelly Macdonald also stars.

    Searchlight has set an October 13 release for the pic, which was penned by Frank Cottrell Boyce and Simon Vaughan. Damian Jones and Steve Christian produced.

    Check out the trailer above.

    Quentin Tarantino Met With Margot Robbie For Sharon Tate: Sources

    (7/12/17) Word has gotten out that Quentin Tarantino’s next film will be a drama revolving around the Manson Family murders. Deadline has heard that Tarantino met with Margot Robbie to potentially play Sharon Tate, the actress wife of director Roman Polanski who was slain in 1969 in a brutal murder whose savagery shocked the country.

    I’ve also heard that Samuel L. Jackson likely also will play a lead in the film, not a surprise since he is to Tarantino what Clarence Clemons was to Bruce Springsteen. A report in THR posited Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds star Brad Pitt (and Deadline hears he’s being courted to play the detective investigating the murder) as well as possibly Jennifer Lawrence.

    Clearly word of this has gotten out before Tarantino was ready, but every project by the writer-director is major news. No one is confirming anything at this point, and I don’t think any roles have been promised yet. Robbie will reprise in Suicide Squad 2, which now is courting Jaume Collet-Serra to direct at Warner Bros, and she starred in and produced I, Tonya, playing disgraced Olympic figure skater Tonya Harding.

    Nobody has read the new script, so all this is a bit liquid at the moment. I just hope Tarantino watermarks the scripts this time before showing them to his potential cast! Stay tuned.

    Fall TV First Impression: The Brave

    (6/16/17) (tvline.com) THE SHOW | NBC’s The Brave (Mondays at 10/9c, premiere date TBA)

    THE COMPETITION | CBS’ Scorpion and ABC’s The Good Doctor (new)

    THE CAST | Mike Vogel (Under the Dome), Anne Heche (Men in Trees), Demetrius Grosse (Banshee), Sofia Pernas (Jane the Virgin), Natacha Karam, Noah Mills (2 Broke Girls), Hadi Tabbal and Tate Ellington (Quantico)

    THE SET-UP | Vogel leads a Special Ops team (comprised of Grosse, Karam, Mills and Tabbal), while Heche calls the shots from D.C.

    THE FIRST IMPRESSION | You had to twist my arm to press play on this one; after watching SEAL Team, Valor and S.W.A.T. in quick succession, I had OD’d on Elite People Doing Elite Things. (I may have even told Andy Swift at one point to keep his head on a swivel and watch my six. Copy that!) But I must say, The Brave (fka For God and Country) is well-produced, the tactical operations are clever and the cast is impressively diverse in a way that makes their opening undercover maneuvers in Syria rather believable. (Conversely, see Michael Scofield and “Whip” scampering around Yemen completely unchecked.)

    Among the ensemble, Vogel has a role that suits him to a tee, Grosse I find to be always engaging and Karam (as a plucky sniper named “Jaz”) is a real find. What’s interesting here is that the cast is poised to always be geographically divided, with Heche (whose DIA honcho suffered a Recent Personal Tragedy, we are repeatedly reminded), Pernas and Ellington manning the strategic ops hub while the others trot the globe. Oh, one last thing: the pilot has the strangest ending.

    THE TVLINE BOTTOM LINE | Can The Brave steal eyeballs from those who appreciate Scorpion‘s derring-do but have grown weary of its cartooniness? With ABC also trying out a newbie, many viewers are up for grabs, though The Brave may be missing the “noisy hook” that helped time slot predecessors Revolution (the lights went out!), The Blacklist (James Spader!), Blindspot (naked in a duffel!) and Timeless (time travel!) get out of the gate — especially in a fall season that is well-armed with military dramas.

    Watch the trailer for The Brave: Video.

    Jason Katims' Rise, Anne Heche Military Drama Get Series Orders at NBC

    (5/5/17) Jason Katims is officially going back to high school.

    NBC has given a series order to the Friday Night Lights‘ showrunner’s Rise, a drama about an inspirational theater teacher in a small town, TVLine has learned.

    The series, which stars Josh Radnor (How I Met Your Mother) and Rosie Perez (Search Party), is based on Michael Sokolove’s book Drama High — which was the show’s original title — about real-life instructor Lou Volpe.

    The Peacock Net also greenlit the drama For God & Country, which stars Anne Heche (Men in Trees) and Mike Vogel (Under the Dome). Heche plays D.I.A. deputy director Patricia Campbell, who leads a team of analysts using advanced surveillance technology. Vogel’s Adam Dalton is part of a Special Ops squad that goes undercover to “save lives of innocent people and execute missions in some of the most dangerous places in the world,” per the series’ logline.

    ‘Z: The Beginning of Everything’ Star Christina Ricci On Presenting Zelda Fitzgerald’s Full Humanity

    (4/29/17) (Video) Last night at the Hollywood Athletic Club, Amazon Studios pulled out all the stops in a presentation for their original series Z: The Beginning of Everything, screening two episodes of the series, followed by a panel discussion with the series’ stars, Christina Ricci and David Hoflin, and costume designer Tom Broecker moderated by Deadline’s Joe Utichi.

    A thirty-minute period drama series created by Dawn Prestwich and Nicole Yorkin (The Killing)—based on the novel Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald, by Therese Anne Fowler—Z: The Beginning of Everything presents a fictionalized look at the extraordinary life and times of American socialite and writer Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald (Christina Ricci), one of the most iconic public personas of her era, alongside her husband, F. Scott Fitzgerald (David Hoflin).

    “I just happened to read Therese’s book, and I loved it, and I couldn’t believe that I had such misconceptions about Zelda Fitzgerald,” Ricci said, of the way in which she found her way to the project.” Assuming someone was already making a film about Zelda’s incredible life story, Ricci had her manager inquire about the rights to the novel, which she ultimately realized were still available.

    The executive producer and star of the Amazon series, Ricci was inspired by the idea of taking a figure shrouded in mythology and bringing her to life in a new way. “I think that for me, what I really wanted was this idea of giving this woman who lives in myth—either adored or reviled—make her human, give her back her humanity,” the actress remarked.

    When it came to preparations for their roles in the series, Ricci and Hoflin had very different methodologies, with Ricci pursuing a deeper dive into research, to do the part justice. “I did tons and tons of research about Zelda—I read two biographies, I read all of her writing that I could get my hands on, and I read all of [F. Scott Fitzgerald’s] writing,” she explained. “I read about that period of time in America—I pretty much covered all my bases, because it is very intimidating to play somebody who is kind of the stuff of legend. You don’t want to disappoint anyone, or embarrass yourself.”

    Hoflin, on the other hand, found that indulging in too much research can become an all-consuming venture. “I think you can go crazy, doing so much research, because there’s so much stuff written about them, and then not only that, but we’ve got obviously scripts to read, and there’s an element of a storyline that Z’s telling,” he said. “It’s a person’s view on what happened, so I think there’s gotta be a limit, or at least there was for me. There’s a limit to doing research, and then trying to work out how that relates to the actual work that you’re doing.”

    In approaching Z, Ricci was much more interested in examining who Zelda Fitzgerald really was away from the glamor, the Hollywood spotlight, and the persona the writer put on in public—though the actress admitted that Fitzgerald’s real and constructed personas did, at times, coincide.

    “For me, it’s very much about playing a woman, about being very real, and human, and heartfelt,” Ricci explained. “It’s sort of like pulling back the curtain a little bit, so the celebrity aspect of it and the iconic kind of aspect of it was something I didn’t even think of at all, except for the way that celebrity affected her behavior, and how she felt about herself.”

    Emmy-winning costumer Tom Broecker sparked to the idea of visually examining a fascinating moment in fashion and culture, generally, profiting in his process from visual resources and a “wealth of information” that are readily available to the public.

    “The interesting part about this show, for me anyway, is that it is a really ugly period, until you actually get to know it, and then it’s a really spectacularly beautiful period, because it’s actually right before what we imagine as the most beautiful period in fashion, which is the later ‘20s,” Broecker said.

    Bowing in January, Z‘s first season follows Zelda’s marriage to the author, and subsequent marital tensions stemming from both a raucous partying lifestyle, and F. Scott’s inability to take his wife on her own terms, recognizing her worth and innate ability as a writer.

    With the announcement of a Season 2 renewal for the series coming just hours before the night’s panel, Ricci expressed her excitement at the prospect of a second season, discussing what it may mean for the show going forward.

    “We’re truly thrilled. It’s such a rich history and their story is so fascinating. It should be a pretty exciting second season,” the actress said, while acknowledging that the story may continue to travel down some darker avenues. “Certainly, we’re going to get more into the complexities of their marriage, and what led to her (Zelda’s) breakdown.”

    The Z panel last night and a final presentation at the Hollywood Athletic Club tonight mark the culmination of a two-week FYC event, in which Amazon set up ten rooms within the two levels of the Sunset Blvd. facility, each specifically designed for one of Amazon’s roster of television series. The series represented include The Man in the High Castle, Z: The Beginning of Everything, Goliath, Sneaky Pete, Patriot, Mozart in the Jungle, Catastrophe, Transparent, the yet-to-premiere I Love Dick, and two beloved children’s television programs, Just Add Magic and An American Girl Story – Melody 1963: Love Has to Win.

    To view Deadline’s conversation with Christina Ricci, David Hoflin and costume designer Tom Broecker for yourself, click above.

    ‘Z: The Beginning Of Everything’ Renewed For Season 2 By Amazon

    (4/28/17) Amazon has renewed Z: The Beginning of Everything for a second season, Deadline has confirmed.

    Created by Dawn Prestwich and Nicole Yorkin, the bio-series is based on the life of Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald, the brilliant, beautiful and talented Southern Belle who becomes the original flapper and icon of the wild, flamboyant Jazz Age in the 20s.

    Starring Christina Ricci as Zelda, Z: The Beginning of Everything starts before she meets the unpublished writer F. Scott Fitzgerald (David Hoflin) and moves through their passionate, turbulent love affair and their marriage—made in heaven, lived out in hell as the celebrity couple of their time. The series travels through the wild parties, the wicked jazz, the dissolute artists of the era, as well as the alcoholism, adultery and struggle with dashed dreams and mental illness that characterizes their later years. David Strathairn co-stars.

    Prestwich and Yorkin who also exec produce along with Pamela Koffler, Christine Vachon and Ricci.

    Julie Delpy, Christina Ricci to be honored at Vail Film Festival

    (3/18/17) The Vail Film Festival has announced that it will celebrate women filmmakers, honoring Julie Delpy and Christina Ricci and opening with Susan Johnson’s coming-of-age story “Carrie Pilby,” Variety has learned exclusively.

    The 14th annual festival will run from March 30 to April 2, closing with Amanda Sharp’s family drama “Sticky Notes,” which stars Rose Leslie as an emotionally detached backup dancer living in Los Angeles who returns to Florida to take care of her estranged father, played by Ray Liotta.

    Julie Delpy will receive the Vail Film Festival Vanguard award in recognition of her having directed, written, or acted in more than 50 films. She wrote and starred in the Richard Linklater trilogy “Before Sunrise,” “Before Sunset” and “Before Midnight,” with co-writer and co-star Ethan Hawke, and received Oscar nominations for “Before Sunset” and “Before Midnight” for Best Adapted Screenplay.

    Delpy’s credits include “Europa Europa,” “Voyager,” “Three Colors: White,” “An American Werewolf in Paris,” Jim Jarmusch’s “Broken Flowers” and “The Air I Breathe,” starring with Kevin Bacon and Andy Garcia. She wrote, directed, and starred in “2 Days in Paris” with Adam Goldberg.

    Ricci will be honored with the 2017 Vail Film Festival Renegade award. She currently stars as Zelda Fitzgerald in the Amazon original series “Z: The Beginning of Everything,” and serves as an executive producer. Her credits include Ang Lee’s “The Ice Storm,” “The Opposite of Sex,” “Buffalo 66,” Patty Jenkins’ “Monster,” Wes Craven’s “Cursed,” Woody Allen’s romantic comedy “Anything Else” and Tim Burton’s “Sleepy Hollow.”

    The Women in Film panel will be moderated by Denver Film Festival director Britta Erickson, with panelists including producer Miranda Bailey, writer and director Susan Johnson, writer and director Leila Djansi, and producer Katie Mustard.

    Hot Spec ‘Marian’ Sells To Sony With Margot Robbie Attached to Star

    (3/7/17) It garnered a lot of interest, but when the dust cleared it was Sony that nailed the project for producers Donald De Line and Amy Pascal by pre-empting the spec Marian for actress Margot Robbie to star. A nice role for Robbie to show some more of her acting chops, this time in a serious and truly gritty turn. Think Braveheart meets Game of Thrones. Robbie’s label LuckyChap Entertainment is also producing, with Rock Shaink, through his Romark Entertainment.

    Scripted by newcomer Pete Barry, Marian is based on the character from the Robin Hood folklore. Here’s the storyline: After a conspiracy to conquer England in which the love of her life Robin Hood dies before her eyes, Marian picks up the cause to lead her people into a pivotal war. She comes to power, charging into a battle that will not only decide the fate of the kingdom but will see her don the mantle of the man she loved. In the process, she rises as a legend herself.

    Robbie is currently at work on I, Tonya, the biopic about disgraced figure skater Tonya Harding that started shooting last month. Also on her plate is a further exploration of her Suicide Squad character in a project called Gotham City Sirens for Warner Bros. and director David Ayer — an all-female DC villains movie. In addition, she’s on two projects based on beloved characters from childhood books: Peter Rabbit at Sony/Columbia, a live-action/CGI hybrid feature based on Beatrix Potter’s classic characters, and Fox Searchlight’s untitled A.A. Milne project centered on Winnie the Pooh.

    De Line and Steven Spielberg just produced the director’s Ready Player One for Warner Bros.; that comes out in March 2018. He also produced Zach Braff’s Going in Style from Oscar-nominated screenwriter Ted Melfi (Hidden Figures), which comes out next month. Pascal is working on a slew of projects, including Molly’s Game and the tentpole Spider-Man: Homecoming as well as a feature based on Mattel’s Barbie toy line.

    Paradigm — which is going on what, eight spec sales in a row?– also sold this latest spec on behalf of Barry. The writer also is repped by manager Andrea Dimity of Pannon Entertainment and attorney Jeff Frankel. Robbie and LuckyChap are repped by Management 360, CAA and attorney Jeff Bernstein; the actress additionally is repped by Aran Michael Management.

    Mike Vogel To Topline ‘For God And Country’ NBC Military Drama Pilot

    (2/15/17) Under the Dome star Mike Vogel has been tapped as the lead of For God and Country, NBC’s military drama pilot from writer Dean Georgaris, Keshet Studios and Universal TV.

    Written by Georgaris, For God and Country is described as a heart-pounding look into the complex world of our bravest military heroes who make personal sacrifices while executing the most challenging and dangerous missions behind enemy lines.

    Vogel will play Michael Dalton, commander of the ISA-Special Operations Group responsible for getting back a kidnapped American doctor. He will do whatever it takes to make sure no foreign nation gets away with harming Americans.

    Georgaris executive produces with Keshet’s Avi Nir, Peter Traugott and Rachel Kaplan.

    In addition to his starring role as Barbie on the CBS summer drama series Under the Dome, Vogel recently headlined the Syfy miniseries Childhood’s End.

    Christina Ricci Discusses Her Amazon Original Series

    (1/31/17) (Video) Christina Ricci stops by to give us the scoop on her role as Zelda Fitzgerald in the Amazon original, “Z: The Beginning of Everything.” The biography series gives viewers a glimpse into the life of Zelda Fitzgerald before she meets, “The Great Gatsby” author, F. Scott Fitzgerald. From wild parties and turbulent love affairs to jazz music and mental illness, the series doesn’t hold back. Interview at 692 Broadway in NYC for BUILD Series.

    People's Choice Awards 2017 Winners

    (1/18/17) Favorite Action Movie Actress: Margot Robbie

    Margot Robbie Completely Transforms for Tonya Harding Biopic

    (1/17/17) (Pic) Margot Robbie who?

    The Australian access was spotted on the set of her forthcoming biopic, I, Tonya, about infamous figure skater Tonya Harding, and the results are uncanny. Wearing the most '90s-looking mom jeans, a blue sweater and a frizzy blond wig, Robbie, 26, looked nearly identical to Harding. Instead of gaining weight in real life, it appears Robbie was fitted with facial prosthetics and a body suit to mimic the appearance of a few extra pounds.

    The film, slated to release in 2018, will follow the events leading up to Harding and her ex-husband's attack on rival ice skater Nancy Kerrigan in 1994 ahead of the Winter Olympic Games. After an Olympic practice session, Kerrigan was attacked by a hit man with hopes that he would break her leg, forcing her to sit out of the upcoming games.

    The hit man, hired by Harding's ex Jeff Gillooly (Sebastian Stan in the film), failed, and Kerrigan went on to win the silver medal while Harding placed eighth.

    Caught on film, the attack made headlines immediately. Harding avoided serving any jail time after Gillooly struck a plea deal in exchange for implicating her; however, she did face some consequences. The disgraced figure skater was placed on probation for three years, sentenced to 500 hours community service and forced to pay a $160,000 fine.

    Of course, Robbie is hardly the first star to completely transform into someone else for a role. Click through our gallery above to see other stars who've played real people.

    Margot Robbie hits ice rink to prep for Tonya Harding role

    (1/4/17) This role could become Margot Robbie’s biggest “smash” hit.

    The “Wolf of Wall Street” star was seen gliding across the ice at a Los Angeles-area ice rink this week as she prepares to play Tonya Harding in a new film about the notorious Olympic figure skater.

    Robbie — who already has experience playing a psychotic blonde as Harley Quinn in “Suicide Squad” — says she is working hard to learn the ice skills necessary to play the central figure in one of the most notorious sports scandals of the 1990s.

    The newlywed is also producer of the flick, along with British filmmaker hubby Tom Ackerley. The couple married last month in a hush-hush ceremony in Australia.

    “I’m really excited because I love acquiring a new skill for a role. It’s one of the biggest treats of acting, “ she told Glamour magazine.

    “And on the producing side of it, if I get an injury, I’m scared I’m going to ruin everything, so I’m nervous.”

    The film, “I, Tonya” is scheduled to premiere next year.

    It will tell the story of how Harding’s ex-husband, Jeff Gillooly, helped hire a goon to smash Harding ice rival Nancy Kerrigan’s leg in the weeks before the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway.

    Kerrigan was able to recover and compete against Harding at the Games in a matchup that became one of TV’s most-watched sporting events ever.

    Kerrigan went on to win the silver medal, while Harding came in eighth.

    Harding never admitted to a role in orchestrating the attack, but a month after the Games, she pleaded guilty to trying to cover it up and was sentenced to three years’ probation and banned from skating for life.

    While the Harding role belongs to Robbie, 26, the role of Kerrigan is yet to be cast.

    Gillooly will be played by “Captain America: Civil War” star Sebastian Stan.

    Margot Robbie reportedly weds boyfriend in secret ceremony

    (12/29/16) (Video) Ashley Greene is ready to ring in 2017 newly engaged!

    The Hollywood actress headed to Instagram Thursday afternoon to reveal some exciting personal news. As it turns out, her longtime boyfriend Paul Khoury recently proposed during a holiday getaway.

    "This is the most beautiful moment I could have ever hoped for. You've successfully made me the happiest, luckiest woman alive," the Twilight star shared on Instagram. "I can't wait to show you my unfaltering immeasurable love for the rest of our lives. #engaged #loveofmylife #futurehusband."

    As an added bonus, followers of the actress received video of the trip that occurred around December 19.

    At the bottom of Bridal Veil Falls in New Zealand, Paul got down on one knee to ask the important question. Spoiler alert: She absolutely said yes.

    "It's very magical babe," she said before the couple jumped for joy, kissed and teared up.

    Earlier this month, the couple sparked engagement rumors when Ashley was spotted wearing a ring on that finger. Things weren't made official, however, until the pair posted on social media.

    "I promise to put a smile on your face for the rest of our lives. You complete me in ways I didn't even know was possible," Paul shared on Instagram. "I love you more than anything and excited to take this next step in life with you! #foreverlove #myfutrewife #ShesGonnaBeAKhoury."

    Congratulations to the couple on their happy news.

    Margot Robbie reportedly weds boyfriend in secret ceremony

    (12/20/16) “Suicide Squad” star Margot Robbie secretly wed filmmaker Tom Ackerley in her native Australia over the weekend, according to local reports.

    The Aussie Daily Telegraph (paywall) writes Robbie ducked paparazzi who were said to be scouring the area for the celebration and managed to say her vows away from prying eyes.

    Suspicions about a wedding were aroused last week when the actress was seen in a T-shirt that read, “Say ‘I do’ Down Under” — suggesting it may be wise not to entrust Robbie with big secrets.

    David Ayer & Margot Robbie Reunite For All Femme DC Villain Pic ‘Gotham City Sirens’

    (12/14/16) David Ayer will direct and produce Gotham City Sirens for Warner Bros. This is the idea that Margot Robbie pitched to the studio for an all-female DC villains movie back in May, in which she’ll make her return as Harley Quinn, the Joker’s psychotic girlfriend from Suicide Squad. Robbie will also serve as EP.

    Sherlock Holmes 3 and Tomb Raider reboot scribe Geneva Robertson-Dworet is being tapped to write. DC’s motion picture executives Geoff Johns and Jon Berg will also produce.

    Gotham City Sirens was published by DC in 2009, and is part of the Batman: Reborn series. Paul Dini wrote it, while Guillem March illustrated. In addition to Harley Quinn, Catwoman, Poison Ivy and Ra’s al Ghul’s daughter Talia feature prominently in it.

    Suicide Squad was a huge success for Warner Bros., becoming the top opening for August at $133.6M stateside, and grossing $745.6M at the global B.O.

    Miramax Lands Margot Robbie As Tonya Harding Drama ‘I, Tonya’

    (12/12/16) Miramax has acquired U.S. distribution rights to I, Tonya, the drama that has Margot Robbie set to play disgraced figure skater Tonya Harding. Craig Gillespie is directing. Deadline first revealed in May that Robbie would play Harding, and the project picked up steam around AFM, when AI Film signed on to finance the Steven Rogers script. The Aussie actress might have to brush up on her figure skating moves, but there is a portion of the program here she proved adept at as the bad girl in Suicide Squad. Harding emerged from a poor upbringing and rough childhood in Portland, OR to rise to the top of the sport of figure skating with determination and athleticism that allowed her to become the first American woman to complete the triple axel in major competitions. She won the 1991 U.S. Figure Skating Championships and second in the World Championships, and was set for a showdown against fellow American skater Nancy Kerrigan. The fairy tale turned nightmarish, after Kerrigan was attacked by thugs who tried to break her leg. It turned out the culprit was Harding’s husband, who implicated his wife as he tried to stay out of jail. Kerrigan wound up winning the silver medal at that Olympics, and the completely distracted Harding finished eighth as her life was circling the drain. As the ensuing scandal unfolded, the USFSA stripped Harding of her 1994 championship and banned her for life.

    Clubhouse Pictures’ Bryan Unkeless, LuckyChap’s Robbie and Tom Ackerly, and Rogers are producing, while AI’s Len Blavatnik and Aviv Giladi are exec producers. UTA Independent Film Group and CAA brokered the deal. Miramax head of film &TV Zanne Devine spearheaded it for the distributor and Rosanne Korenberg is overseeing the film for Miramax.

    Miramax confirmed. Said Robbie: “The script is unbelievable, it’s unlike anything I’ve read before and I know Craig’s approach with the material and the characters will be executed brilliantly. Tom and I at LuckyChap are so grateful to partner with Bryan for what will hopefully be the first of many jobs together.”

    Robbie is repped by Management 360, CAA, attorney Jeff Bernstein and Aran Michael Management. Rogers is Gersh and Gillespie is UTA and Management 360.

    2016 Critics’ Choice Award Winners

    (12/12/16) BEST ACTRESS IN AN ACTION MOVIE: Margot Robbie – Suicide Squad

    ‘Z: The Beginning Of Everything’: Amazon Drama Gets Debut Date & Jazz Age Trailer

    (12/7/16) (Video) No couple epitomized the rebellion and the glamour of the Jazz Age like F. Scott Fitzgerald and Zelda Fitzgerald, and now the Amazon series about their tumultuous romance and life has a launch date and a new trailer.

    A peek at the Christina Ricci-starring Z: The Beginning of Everything can be seen above, and the 10-episode first season can all be seen in its entirety starting January 27.

    With American Crime alum David Hoflin as The Great Gatsby author, Z follows the pair from their first meeting in Montgomery, AL, in 1918 and all the way to the top of the literary and social circles of NYC and Paris and seemingly everywhere in between – with a lot of style, a lot of booze and no small degree of emotional explosions.

    Having first made its pilot debut back on November 4, 2015, the series created by Dawn Prestwich and Nicole Yorkin snared a series pickup just over year ago. If you’ve seen the Tim Blake Nelson-directed pilot, you’ll know that Z aims to take the former Zelda Sayre out of the shadow of her husband and show the artistic and destructive force she was unto herself — a creative force that F. Scott more than liberally lifted from for his own works. If you haven’t seen the pilot, you can watch it right now on Amazon Prime before the rest of the series starts next year.

    Besides Ricci as Zelda and Hoflin as F. Scott, Z also features David Strathairn as Zelda’s father plus Corey Cott, Jordan Dean, Natalie Knepp, Christina Bennett Lind and Holly Curran. Prestwich and Yorkin serve as EPs on Z along with Ricci, Christine Vachon and Pamela Koffler.

    Critics’ Choice Award Nominations

    (12/1/16) The awards air Sunday December 11th on A&E.

    BEST ACTRESS IN AN ACTION MOVIE
    Gal Gadot – Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
    Scarlett Johansson – Captain America: Civil War
    Margot Robbie – Suicide Squad
    Tilda Swinton – Doctor Strange

    ‘Seven Seconds’: Michael Mosley & Patrick Murney Cast In Netflix Series

    (11/30/16) Michael Mosley has signed on for a regular role in the 10-episode Netflix crime drama Seven Seconds. Also cast in the series, from The Killing creator Veena Sud and Fox 21 TV Studios, is Patrick Murney (Public Morals).

    Written by Sud, Seven Seconds is based on the 2013 Russian action movie The Major (?????). Tensions run high between African American citizens and Caucasian cops in Jersey City, where a teenage African American boy is critically injured by a cop.

    Mosley will play Joe “Fish” Rinaldi, a seasoned New Jersey detective assigned to work with prosecutor KJ Harper (still to be cast). Murney will portray Gary Wilcox, a cop working with Diangelo (David Lyons), Osorio (Raul Castillo) and newcomer Peter Jablonski (Beau Knapp) on the Narcotics squad in Jersey City.

    Mosley starred as Johnny on USA’s Sirens, and most recently recurred on Castle, Longmire, and Elementary. He’s repped by Gersh and Industry Entertainment. Murney played Petey ‘Mac’ Mackenna on TNT’s Public Morals and also had guest roles on Person of Interest and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

    People’s Choice Awards Nominees Set

    (11/15/16) Here’s another election America must undertake: Voting opens today for the People’s Choice Awards 2017. Nominees were unveiled this morning at Paley Center in Los Angeles, with online voting set to run through December 15 and winners announced during a ceremony January 18 at Microsoft Theater L.A. Live and broadcast on CBS.

    FAVORITE MOVIE ACTRESS
    Anna Kendrick
    Jennifer Lawrence
    Margot Robbie
    Melissa McCarthy
    Scarlett Johansson

    FAVORITE ACTION MOVIE ACTRESS
    Jennifer Lawrence
    Margot Robbie
    Scarlett Johansson
    Shailene Woodley
    Zoe Saldana

    Margot Robbie Near Deal To Join ‘Peter Rabbit’

    (10/24/16) Margot Robbie is in final negotiations to join Peter Rabbit, Sony/Columbia’s live-action/CGI hybrid feature film based on Beatrix Potter’s classic characters. The pic has been casting up, with Deadline breaking last week that Domhnall Gleeson has been set to play menacing farmer Mr. McGregor.

    Will Gluck is directing, with Gleeson and Rose Byrne playing the live-action roles. Robbie joins James Corden as Peter, Daisy Ridley and Elizabeth Debicki in the voice cast. Production starts at Australia’s animated VFX studio Animal Logic in January with an eye at a April 2018 release date. The screenplay is by Rob Lieber with revisions by Gluck.

    Robbie is already aboard another classic fairy-tale pic, Fox Searchlight’s untitled A.A. Milne project centered on Winnie the Pooh. That one also stars Gleeson as well as Will Tilston as a young Christopher Robin. Simon Curtis is directing and shooting began last month in and around London.

    Robbie, who stole the show in Warner Bros’ Suicide Squad, is repped by CAA, Management 360, attorney Jeff Bernstein and Aran Michael Management.

    SNL Premiere Promo: Kate McKinnon Toasts First-Time Host Margot Robbie

    (9/29/16) (Video) To celebrate Margot Robbie‘s inaugural stint as Saturday Night Live host, cast member (and recent Emmy winner) Kate McKinnon got the Suicide Squad star into the hottest, most exclusive bash in town.

    “The SNL pre-premiere pre-party,” McKinnon tells Robbie, who will emcee the proceedings in Studio 8H this Saturday night (11:30, NBC), kicking off Season 42 with musical host The Weeknd.

    Of course there’s no such thing, but that doesn’t stop the Australian actress and McKinnon from getting down — complete with EDM backup — and having a little wine in one of several silly promos for the season premiere.

    Other announced Season 42 hosts include Hamilton creator/star Lin-Manuel Miranda and The Girl on the Train star Emily Blunt.

    SNL enters its new season without three cast members: veterans Taran Killam and Jay Pharoah and featured player Jon Rudnitsky. EP Lorne Michaels has added a trio of newbies to the Not Ready for Primetime Players: improv performer Alex Moffat, SNL writer Mikey Day and Latina impressionist/actor Melissa Villaseñor.

    Margot Robbie To Keep Circus Theme Going With Starring Role In WB’s ‘Queen Of The Air’

    (8/10/16) Hot off the success of playing DC’s clown-themed villain Harley Quinn in Suicide Squad, Deadline has confirmed that Margot Robbie is sticking with Warner Bros and the circus theme, taking a starring role in the studio’s upcoming biopic Queen of the Air. Based on Dean N. Jensen’s 2013 nonfiction book of the same name, the film will tell the story of famed trapeze artist Lillian Leitzel and her tragic romance with fellow acrobat Alfredo Codona. The German-born Leitzel became a sensation in the 1920s for her death-defying stunts, eventually entering into a famously volatile love affair and marriage with Codona. She died tragically in 1931 during a live performance when her rigging snapped; Codona died 6 years later in a shocking Long beach, California-set murder-suicide. No director has signed on the film, scripted by Cat Vasko with Andrew Lazar (American Sniper) aboard as producer.

    Harley Quinn becomes divisive breakout of 'Suicide Squad'

    (8/5/16) Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn was the breakout star of "Suicide Squad" before the movie was even finished. Audiences were captivated by this insane villain with the high-wattage smile, baseball bat, fishnets, pigtails and a T-shirt that read "Daddy's Lil Monster."

    But now that the film is out in theaters and being savaged by critics, that tide may be turning. Harley Quinn has become a divisive figure. To some, she's still the breakout. To others, she's the unwitting victim of a misogynistic story and an abusive relationship.

    In the film, she's the kind of character who cackles gleefully after surviving a harrowing helicopter crash, and coyly asks "What?!" after changing into some skintight hot pants in front of dozens of men. She's also obsessively devoted to her boyfriend, the Joker (Jared Leto), who is also the one responsible for her transformation from accomplished psychotherapist to all out psychopath.

    "It is a very difficult role," said director David Ayer. "You want to talk about a really, difficult, complex performance? Margot delivers."

    Early on he got a tip from Warner Bros. that he should look at the rising Australian actress for the part. Ayer liked Robbie's ability to disappear into her roles and cast her in the film.

    And they went to work crafting one of the more dysfunctional on-screen relationships this side of Sid and Nancy.

    The character of Harley Quinn was introduced in the 1990s television show "Batman: The Animated Series," but soon the character seeped into the main DC comic books. While nowhere near as popular as, say Wonder Woman, she gained a sort of cult status. Filmmaker Kevin Smith even named his daughter after her.

    In bringing the relationship to the screen, everyone was keenly aware of the potentially problematic nature of this unhinged couple. They had to strike a delicate balance.

    Even Robbie has acknowledged her initial confusion about Harley's complete devotion to a man who treats her poorly.

    "We wanted to make sure that she wasn't victimized and didn't come off being victimized," said producer Charles Roven.

    Thus, they sought to make her the driver of her own actions. Producers also said they tried to make sure the Joker is as obsessed with her as she is with him.

    In the movie, the Joker tortures her with electro shock therapy and gifts her to another man, while she fantasizes about suburban domesticity. In some versions of the comics, he regularly physically and emotionally abuses her.

    Leto said that they pushed boundaries even more while shooting, but held back in the final edit.

    "There's a lot that's not going to be on the screen ... (We) pushed the envelope quite a bit during filming. There are scenes that may never see the light of day between Harley and the Joker where we explored those other dysfunctional sides," Leto said.

    Ayer's film needed to be PG-13, though.

    "It's a very interesting time that we live in — a time where people are often crucified for mistakes. I can understand why people are very cautious about the decisions that they make," Leto said. "At the end of the day, the filmmakers and the studio have a film and they need to do what's best for the film."

    Still, many critics, like Buzzfeed's Alison Willmore , MTV's Amy Nicholson and The Daily Beast's Jen Yamato , are dismayed that the relationship and the complex figure of Harley Quinn is not investigated further.

    "What we see on screen is this ditzy blond who seems to be willing to do anything for this guy," said Alyssa Rosenberg, opinion writer for The Washington Post. "If that relationship's meant to be powerful and complex and ugly, it also needs to be complete. It deserves to breathe."

    Margot Robbie says Prince Harry is a good texter

    (8/2/16) Margot Robbie thinks it’s no big deal that she’s text buddies with Prince Harry.

    “He’s pretty quick on text actually,” Robbie, 25, told “Extra” this week. “Unlike me — I write back four days later, weeks later sometimes.”

    As for how they met, Robbie told E! News, “Well, he’s friends with Cara [Delevingne]. They’ve know each other for years, and we met through friends.”

    Though Robbie and Harry are pals now, their initial meeting didn’t go so smoothly, since Robbie mistook him for fellow redhead Ed Sheeran.

    “I didn’t know it was a prince, it’s not like he was wearing a crown … When I saw him in those glasses, I was like, ‘Oh, my God, I didn’t know Ed Sheeran was at the party!'” she said in a sitdown with Jimmy Fallon in March. “He got really offended. He was like, ‘Shut up!'”

    Margot Robbie's Glittery Gold Unicorn Gown!

    (8/2/16) (Pic) In case you hadn’t quite caught on to the fact that Margot Robbie‘s style was one-of-a-kind, you won’t be able to miss the memo when it’s this giant, glitzy and golden — and galloping across her gown.

    The Australian actress sparkled in a sequined Alexander McQueen gown on the black carpet at Monday’s Suicide Squad premiere at Beacon Theatre in New York City. Robbie, 26, was dressed in the sequin embroidered unicorn spot tulle gown from the British fashion house’s AW16 collection.

    The darkly glamorous dress, with its sheer panels and enormous mythical beast — plus her undone pony and vampy lip — was the perfect goth-glam pick for the premiere of a film in which she plays the maniacal villainess Harley Quinn.

    Robbie has beautifully amped up her style choices during the Suicide Squad press tour. During her appearances, the star has worn designer labels such as Proenza Schouler, Altuzarra, Monse, Calvin Klein and Rosetta Getty.

    Also at the N.Y.C. premiere were Margot’s costars Cara Delevingne (wearing Anthony Vaccarello), Karen Fukuhara (wearing Valentino) and Viola Davis. And the ladies weren’t the only style standouts. Will Smith, Joel Kinnaman and Jared Leto, who wore head-to-toe Gucci, also brought their fashion A-game.

    Margot Robbie Speaks Up About "Really Weird" Vanity Fair Interview: Maybe I'm Desensitized to It Now

    (7/26/16) Hindsight is 20/20—just ask Margot Robbie.

    The Suicide Squad actress sat down with Vanity Fair's Rich Cohen as the cover girl of the August issue. While the magazine declared this the "summer of Robbie," that's really where the compliments ended.

    Cohen's complete profile immediately came under fire after it went live on the publication's website, critics taking aim at the author's confusing and controversial commentary about the star. He compared Robbie's looks to "a minor knock-around key, a blue mood, a slow dance" before subtly insulting Australians, saying the country is "a throwback, which is why you go there for throwback people."

    "I remember thinking, I said, 'That was a really odd interview I don't know how that's gonna come out,'" Robbie told The Project. "Then when I read it, I was like, yeah, the tone of this is really weird, like I don't really know what he's trying to get at or play at."

    While the 26-year-old actress initially kept mum about her encounter, her wide-reaching supporters immediately came to the rescue. "I didn't expect there to be like an uproar about it at all," she continued. Still, fans from her native Australia rushed to her digital side. "I had like this bit of Aussie pride where I was like, 'Don't mess with the Aussies."

    Unfortunately, despite a very fast rise to stardom, the talented leading lady has already gotten used to being criticized on her performance, her looks and everything in between. 'I've read far more offensive, far more sexist, insulting, derogatory, disgusting things on a daily basis," she told The Project. "I don't know. Maybe I'm like desensistized to it now."

    9 Things You Didn't Know About Margot Robbie as We Gear Up for Suicide Squad

    (7/25/16) Are we about to hit peak Margot Robbie? The actress may not be the top-billed name on the Suicide Squad poster, but going into the film's August premiere, she's certainly garnering the lion's share of attention – well, her and Jared Leto, anyway – for what's sure to be a memorable turn as DC anti-hero Harley Quinn.

    And while Robbie, 26, is certainly no stranger to the moviegoing public at large, given her roles in The Wolf of Wall Street and Focus, there's still plenty to learn about the beauty from Down Under. Let's take a look at some of the things you might not know about Robbie.

    1. She plays hockey

    Robbie apparently plays right wing in an amateur hockey league in L.A. "We don't have ice hockey in Australia, but we did have The Mighty Ducks," she told Vulture. Oh, and she cut short the filming of her Wolf of Wall Street audition tape to catch a New York Rangers game.

    2. She shared the screen with a Hemsworth before either of them were famous

    That would be Liam, in The Elephant Princess, in 2008.

    3. She's an amateur tattoo artist

    Among the more innocuous stories from the Suicide Squad set – and it says a lot that stories of stars tattooing each other is "innocuous" on the set of this film – was that the stars were getting all ink-happy with each other. Robbie tattooed director David Ayer and costar Cara Delevingne with matching "Skwad" designs.

    4. She got her start in Australian soaps

    Well, technically, her first acting role was in a friend's low-budget thriller in Australia. No thanks to her agent – Robbie was cold-calling casting directors herself – she landed a role on the Australian soap Neighbours that bloomed from a guest spot into a full-on regular role.

    5. Her American accent is really good

    Robbie practiced her American accent while working on Neighbours, and completely fooled everyone working on the short-lived Pan Am, the drama that was her first American role. "Even members of the crew will come up and be like, 'Wait, wait! Where are you from?'" she told MSN.

    6. She was such a big Harry Potter fan growing up she lied to get glasses

    During a recent appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Robbie dredged up a photo of her at 13, clearly over the moon to be reading a Harry Potter tome. "I have 20/20 vision and I lied to get glasses so I could look like Harry Potter," she told Kimmel. "They're not even cool ones. They're, like, ugly glasses."

    7. She's also really good at eating and drinking a lot

    Despite her envy-inducing figure, Robbie might have a second career as an eating-contest contestant. "I can chug beer pretty quickly," she told PEOPLE in June, adding that she won an eating contest while working on Neighbours that saw her put down "four kilos of spaghetti Bolognese in an hour."

    8. She's had some unorthodox auditions

    Robbie made the split-second decision to slap Leonardo DiCaprio across the face during her Wolf audition, and landed Focus after not having slept for 48 hours. She also purchased her audition outfit right before the audition.

    9. Robbie is also really good at pickpocketing

    Robbie learned how to pick pockets for her role in Focus, the first time she shared the screen with her Suicide Squad costar Will Smith. "I had to slow down my steals, because the camera couldn't see them," she told Vulture.

    Jenna Dewan-Tatum on Her Daughter’s ‘Funky’ Fashion Sense: ‘I Let Her Be and Find Her Own Style’

    (7/22/16) Jenna Dewan-Tatum‘s daughter Everly just celebrated her third birthday in May. And since then, her famous mom says she’s all about letting her embrace her own style as often as she can.

    “She picks [her outfits] out every morning. She calls it ‘her style,’ ” she told PEOPLE at Thursday’s launch celebration for Target’s new children’s line, Cat & Jack.

    “Every now and then I can be like, ‘How about we choose this one?’ ” adds the actress, dancer and wife to Channing Tatum. “As long as she has clothes on when we’re leaving the house, I’m happy.”

    The biggest challenge Dewan-Tatum, 35, has faced since letting Everly dress herself?

    “Generally, whatever she wants half the time is [to be] naked,” she says.

    But when the 3-year-old daughter of the Step Up couple does want to throw on some clothes, Dewan-Tatum says she encourages her to be particular about what she chooses.

    “[Everly]’s very funky and not overly girly. Every now and then she has a random tutu on,” Dewan-Tatum says. “I let her be and find her own style.”

    Following in her mom and dad’s athletic footsteps, Everly’s always in “leggings or some sort of jumper” to fit into her active lifestyle.

    And when Everly’s not raiding her own closet for stylish accessories, Dewan-Tatum admits her daughter loves to peek into her personal jewelry collection.

    “She likes to put on my necklaces and organize my jewelry,” she says. “It just ends up being a pile of tangled necklaces on my end!”

    Michael Mosley on Rush Hour

    (7/21/16) “The Dark Night” – When seemingly upstanding members of society are being publicly humiliated by a mystery man, Detectives Carter and Lee search for someone targeting powerful people with something to hide, on RUSH HOUR, Saturday, August 13 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

    GUEST CAST inlcudes: Michael Mosley (Jack), Ned Vaughn (Brighton), Scott Lowell (Richard Wakefield).

    Margot Robbie Wipes Out While Surfing, Thanks ''Creepy'' Paparazzi for Capturing the Hilarious Moment

    (7/21/16) (Pic1, Pic2) Margot Robbie might think she has some bad angles, but—between movies, magazines and paparazzi shots—we've pretty much seen them all, and she definitely does not.

    Case in point: her latest surfing bail that one photog creepily (yet somewhat gloriously) captured.

    Wearing a white, one-piece bathing suit while hitting the waves in Hawaii alongside her man, Tom Ackerley, Robbie experienced quite the wipe out on her surfboard. Despite the bail, she managed to still look good, and there are photos to prove it.

    However, she took to Instagram to share a different opinion. "Photo cred to the creepy pap hiding in the bushes," she captioned the pic. "Thanks for always catching me at my best angles #blessed."

    Meanwhile, after wrapping filming for the Suicide Squad as well as her promotional tour for The Legend of Tarzan, Robbie took some much-needed R&R in Hawaii with Ackerley.

    The pair was spotted showing some major PDA while playing around in the ocean, looking totally in love and enthralled in one another's company.

    Robbie's toned body looked on-fleek in a multi-colored, crochet bikini as she soaked in the sun.

    But despite having an incredible body to be proud of, the actress admits filming sex scenes in The Wolf of Wall Street was still a little uncomfortable.

    "I hadn't done a proper sex scene before. I'd done scenes where it's leading into sex or sex has just finished, but I hadn't done a start-to-finish sex scene like I did in Wolf," she told Vanity Fair magazine in a recent interview. "That was my first."

    "Tons of people are watching you," the starlet admitted. Regardless of her inner apprehension, there was no turning back. "There isn't an option. It's just like, 'This is what you need to do—get on with it. The sooner you do it, the sooner you can stop doing it.'"

    Universal Options Matt Ruff Novel ‘Bad Monkeys’ With Margot Robbie To Star

    (7/20/16) Universal Pictures has optioned rights to Matt Ruff’s novel Bad Monkeys, a psychological thriller to be adapted as a feature by Bluegrass Films’ Scott Stuber and Dylan Clark. They will produce with Margot Robbie for her LuckyChap Entertainment, with Robbie also attached to star.

    The 2007 novel centers on Jane Charlotte, who has been arrested for murder. She says she’s a member of a secret organization devoted to fighting evil and that she’s working with the Department for the Final Disposition of Irredeemable Persons — aka “Bad Monkeys.” Her confession lands her in the jail’s psychiatric wing and earns her countless hours of poking, probing, and questioning by a professional. Is Jane crazy or lying? Or is she playing a whole different game altogether?

    LuckyChap’s Josey McNamara will serve as executive producer. Jon Mone will oversee production for Universal and Nicholas Nesbitt will oversee on behalf of Bluegrass. CAA, which represents Stuber, Robbie and Ruff, packaged the project.

    Robbie is now onscreen playing Jane in Warner Bros’ The Legend Of Tarzan, and her Harley Quinn is around the corner in Suicide Squad. She is now in production on LuckyChap’s Terminal. She is also repped by Management 360, Aran Michael Management in Australia, and attorney Jeffrey Bernstein.

    Ruff is also repped by publishing agent Melanie Jackson of Melanie Jackson Agency.

    Australians offended by Vanity Fair’s Margot Robbie cover story

    (7/10/16) They’re still up in arms Down Under over Rich Cohen’s Vanity Fair cover story on Margot Robbie, who likened Australia to “America 50 years ago, sunny and slow, a throwback.”

    Cohen wrote, “They still live and die with the plot turns of soap operas in Melbourne and Perth, still dwell in a single mass market in Adelaide and Sydney,” and Robbie’s from Queensland, where “a dingo ­really will eat your baby.”

    His piece has been blasted as “patronizing,” “arrogant” and “misogynistic.”

    The national paper The Australian proclaimed, “If there’s one thing Australians will not stand for, it is being ridiculed by America.”

    Aussie New Yorkers also recoiled.

    Consultant Malcolm Carfrae said the article “sounds like it was written in the ’50s.”

    Margot Robbie Dishes on Her 'So Awkward' Sex Scenes with Leonardo DiCaprio

    (7/6/16) Filming a sex scene is always a bit awkward – especially when it's your first.

    Margot Robbie opened up about filming her infamous sex scenes with Leonardo DiCaprio in The Wolf of Wall Street, revealing that it was the first time she fully stripped down on screen.

    "I hadn't done a proper sex scene before," she told Vanity Fair in its August issue. "I'd done scenes where it's leading into sex or sex had just finished, but I hadn't done a start-to-finish sex scenes like I did in Wolf. That was my first."

    While Robbie, 26, said she did film a shower scene while working on an Australian film, nothing quite compared to the level of nudity in Wolf.

    "I was practically naked there," she said. "But it wasn't anywhere as much as in Wolf."

    The Australian actress said one of the strangest parts of the experience was having "tons of people" watching as they filmed the different scenes. "It's so awkward."

    "There isn't an option," she said of having to overcome her nerves. "It's just like, this is what you need to do – get on with it. The sooner you do it, the sooner you can stop doing it."

    But despite feeling a little uncomfortable, she delivered an impressive performance. The actress is quickly becoming one of Hollywood's most sought after leading ladies, with roles in this summer's Suicide Squad and The Legend of Tarzan.

    And with her growing fame, Robbie said she's learned how to deal with people who try to diminish her success.

    "There's a thing in Australia called tall-poppy syndrome," she said when asked if if people back home were proud of her. "It's a pretty prevalent thing – they even teach it in school. Poppies are tall flowers, but they don't grow taller than the rest of the flowers, so there's a mentality in Australia where people are really for you to do well; you just can't do better than anyone else or they will cut you down to size."

    Margot Robbie and her boyfriend have four roommates

    (7/1/16) She may be the fastest-rising star in Hollywood but you won’t find Margot Robbie, who can boast a reported net worth of more than $10.75 million, dropping her hard-earned money on extravagant spending sprees.

    “I don’t spend much money at all. It actually makes me really anxious, just the idea of it. It seems crazy to spend a huge amount of money on things you don’t need,” she tells news.com.au. “I’m pretty frugal.”

    She’s not kidding. Robbie, 25, together with her boyfriend, assistant director Tom Ackerley, share a flat in the London suburb of Clapham with four roommates.

    More than a tad unusual given her flush circumstances. “Not really. Actually, we’ve downsized. Until recently we were living with seven others.” She laughs. “I like living with lots of people. It reminds me of the house I grew up in.”

    With such a full house, her living conditions must be a little chaotic at time. “Well, I’m not super domestic but everyone chips in and does the dishes; the boys do the bins because that’s a boy job. It’s definitely not glamorous.”

    Surely, with that many cohabitants, lack of privacy must be an issue?

    “It’s funny. I always think I want privacy because I’m never actually on my own, ever. But then when I am I hate it,” she confides. “After five minutes I find people to hang out with.”

    The pragmatic star continues, “I’ve never spent money on staying anywhere beautiful and I’ve never paid a lot in rent. I’ve saved my money from my time on ‘Neighbours’ (playing Donna Freedman from 2008 to 2011) and spent it on moving to America, acting classes and dialect coaches.”

    Evidently, the acting lessons paid off. Following her pivotal role in “The Wolf of Wall Street” (2013) and her not-so-monumental role in “Focus” (2015), she currently stars in two big budget Hollywood movies: “Tarzan,” and “Suicide Squad.”

    Robbie also graces the cover of the upcoming Vanity Fair issue — quite a leap from her days on “Neighbours.” “It’s mind-boggling,” she nods, grinning. “It’s really exciting to shoot with those photographers that you’ve read about for years in Vanity Fair.”

    Robbie’s personal life appears to be equally exciting. Her relationship with Ackerley began on the set of “Suite Francaise” in 2014 and they seem to relish the gypsy lifestyle. She’s not ready to settle down and start a family.

    “Well, you’d have to be in one place and I’m never in one place. I can’t even have a pet because I keep moving around too much. So family is definitely going to have to wait for now.”

    But it seems she does enjoy certain domestic joys. “Well, I’m a terrible cook and I recently bought olive oil from Hungary (where she is shooting “Terminal” with Mike Myers and Simon Pegg) because my boyfriend is a very good cook. So, I provide the ingredients which is a subtle invitation for him to cook me a dinner.”

    Certainly no damsel in distress (outside the kitchen), she plays a modern version of Jane to Alex Skarsgard’s “Tarzan.” I tell her that her handsome co-star said their sex scene had to appear “primal” and in doing so, he was left with many scratches on his back.

    She laughs. “That was literally the easiest part of the job. I think when you’re watching Tarzan and Jane, two people that have such primal urges and are so madly in love, you kind of want that to be represented in their love life. And (director) David Yates definitely encouraged that when we were on set.

    “When we were shooting he was like, ‘Be more aggressive! Dig your nails in! Punch him!’ And I was like, ‘OK, we’re going for it!’ It was fun.”

    Meanwhile, with Australia’s federal election looming, she says, “I’m not following as closely as I would be if I was living there and I’m not going to be home to vote. But definitely I think everywhere the political scene’s being shaken up a lot. And yeah, I think crazy things are happening.”

    The conversations turns to Brexit. “I really hope people stop and take the time to maybe research things before making decisions or casting a vote because I think we’re going to have to deal with the repercussions for a long time to come.”

    Margot Robbie Gets a Super-Seductive New Gig

    (6/30/16) (Pic) It was only a matter of time before a high-fashion house called dibs on Margot Robbie for a gorgeous ad campaign — and Calvin Klein ended up being the lucky brand to nab the Legend of Tarzan actress. See Robbie’s fresh, sexy ad, Amanda Seyfried’s first-ever partnership with Miu Miu and the seven famous faces fronting Jimmy Choo’s 20th anniversary campaign.

    Robbie filmed a print and TV campaign for Deep Euphoria Calvin Klein fragrance; the print ad features her posing seductively on a plush, velvet chaise, while the TV spot is set to follow her character “as she remembers a series of flashbacks from the night before that blur the lines between fantasy and reality, ultimately revealing her deepest desires,” according to the press release.

    “I’m thrilled to be the face” of the scent, Robbie said in a statement. “This is my first advertising campaign and I am honored it is with Calvin Klein, an iconic brand I have known and loved for so many years.”

    Robbie plays thoroughly modern 'Jane' in new 'Tarzan' film

    (6/26/16) With her cut-glass cheekbones, porcelain skin and cascading flaxen locks, it is hard to imagine a better choice to play Tarzan's love interest than Australian actress Margot Robbie.

    But the 25-year-old, who appears as Jane in "The Legend of Tarzan," the latest take on one of Hollywood's most enduring colonial era adventure stories, is anything but a shrinking violet.

    "I've never wanted to play the damsel in distress, and Jane is anything but," said the actress, who rose to worldwide fame starring in Martin Scorsese's "The Wolf of Wall Street."

    Robbie agreed early on with director David Yates that her take on Jane Porter, and later Lady Greystoke, in the 51st live-action Tarzan movie would be a feisty character, capable of fighting back.

    In one memorable scene, Belgian ruler Leopold II's dastardly henchman Leon Rom, played by Christoph Waltz, demands of a captured Jane that she scream to attract Tarzan's attention, and instead she spits in his face.

    It is a gesture of the kind of fiery insouciance common in the roles Robbie has picked, from her portrayal of the feisty Naomi Lapaglia in "The Wolf of Wall Street" to the villainous Harley Quinn in the much anticipated "Suicide Squad" from DC Comics.

    The Queensland native, whose first regular acting job was in Aussie soap "Neighbours," is enjoying an unusual trajectory in an industry where many female actresses complain of the shallow roles they are offered.

    - Positive response -

    Studies consistently show that men outnumber women by up to three to one among speaking parts in feature films, with the few starring female roles often largely just foils for the male star.

    "I think it's definitely improving. And I think people have finally recognized that half the ticket sales are coming from women," Robbie told AFP at a publicity event in Beverly Hills Sunday for "Tarzan," which hits theaters on July 1.

    "And if they don't create the kind of roles that women are going to be able to relate to then they're not going to enjoy watching them as much.

    "And if they don't enjoy watching them as much, they're not going to be able to make their money. I think they needed to recognize that and I think the industry has really responded in a postive way and people are really making an effort."

    Robbie says she is still offered parts that strike her as problematic, but senses that producers and directors are keen to work with her to give the role more depth.

    One notable feature of David Yates's take on Tarzan is that, for once, it is the male lead, Robbie's co-star Alexander Skarsgard, who spends much of the duration half-naked while Robbie was able to keep her clothes on.

    Yates, who directed the final four "Harry Potter" films and is helming JK Rowling's forthcoming Potter spin-off "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them," revealed he had turned down the studio's suggestion of "Superman" actor Henry Cavill for the role of "Tarzan," preferring Skarsgard's lower profile and physicality.

    - 'Not completely naked' -

    "He was so motivated. I did ask him -- and I did this with Eddie Redmayne on 'Beasts' because they both had to work out -- 'can you send me photographs of yourself?' which seemed kind of not right.

    "So every week, there would be photographs of Alex naked -- not completely naked -- and after about three or four weeks I just thought 'ok, that's fine, it's great."

    "The Legend of Tarzan" picks up the King of the Jungle's story several years after his adventures in Africa with Jane.

    Now a parliamentarian in London, Lord Greystoke is persuaded by Samuel L Jackson's former US civil war soldier George Washington Williams to go back to the Congo Free State to investigate reports that Leopold II is engaged in mass enslavement of the locals.

    Jackson told AFP he visited Washington's grave in Blackpool, northwestern England, last year while shooting Tim Burton's "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children," which is due out in September.

    "George is a pretty fascinating guy," said the 67-year-old Hollywood veteran.

    "He fought in the civil war, underage, and had this darkness about him that took him to the Mexican-American War where he joined the cavalry and ended up killing a whole bunch of Indians, which disturbed him greatly."

    Jackson describes Tarzan as "an origin story more than anything else."

    "You find out exactly why he is Tarzan of the Apes and what his relationship is to that ape community, how he was treated in it, who loved him, who bullied him," he said.

    Fox Searchlight Confirms Domhnall Gleeson And Margot Robbie To Star In Winnie The Pooh Creator Pic ‘Goodbye Christopher Robin’

    (6/14/16) Fox Searchlight today confirmed the news that Deadline previously broke about Domhnall Gleeson and Margot Robbie being set to star in Simon Curtis’ Goodbye Christopher Robin. Gleeson, who scared the bejeezus out of kids worldwide as the evil General Hux in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, will play Winnie the Pooh creator A.A. Milne. Robbie plays his wife Daphne. Curtis (My Week with Marilyn) directs with the script written by Frank Cottrell Boyce (Millions) and Simon Vaughan (War and Peace). Damian Jones (Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie) and Steve Christian (Belle) will serve as producers.

    Pathe developed the project, which will go through Jones’ first-look production pact with Fox Searchlight, news of which Deadline broke a few weeks ago. This is shaping up nicely for Jones, who has been on a roll of late with local hits Dad’s Army and The Lady in the Van as well as the feature adaptation of classic comedy Brit TV series Absolutely Fabulous, which Fox Searchlight will distribute and co-finance with BBC Films.

    “I am delighted to be collaborating with Frank Cottrell Boyce to tell the remarkable and poignant story of the family behind the creation of Winnie the Pooh,” said Simon Curtis. “We are assembling a wonderful cast, headed by two actors I am longing to work with – Domhnall Gleeson and Margot Robbie,” says Curtis.

    The story gives a glimpse into the relationship between beloved children’s author A. A. Milne and his son Christopher Robin, whose toys inspired the magical world of Winnie the Pooh. Along with his mother Daphne, and his nanny Olive, Christopher Robin and his family are swept up in the international success of the books. The enchanting tales brought hope and comfort to England after the First World War. But with the eyes of the world on Christopher Robin, the film will look at what the cost might be to the family?

    The film will be overseen by Fox Searchlight co-heads of production David Greenbaum and Matthew Greenfield, and director of production & acquisitions Katie Goodson-Thomas. Gleeson is repped by The Agency and Paradigm and Robbie is repped by CAA, Management 360, Aran Michael Management and attorney Jeff Bernstein.

    Winnie the Pooh, also called Pooh Bear, has become one of the most iconic characters in children’s literature. Disney famously adapted the character into a popular animated character, first appearing in the 1966 Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree.

    Tarzan Poster

    (5/27/16) Tarzan Poster: View.

    Chiwetel Ejiofor, Connie Britton, Margot Robbie & More Join NBC’s ‘Red Nose Day Special’

    (5/24/16) Chiwetel Ejiofor, Tony Hale, Iwan Rheon, Sterling K. Brown, Yvette Nicole Brown, Margot Robbie, Jane Lynch, Connie Britton, Jay Pharaoh and Mayim Bialik are among the celebrities who have signed on for NBC’s Red Nose Day Special. The fundraiser that aims to help lift kids out of poverty will be broadcast live on May 26 from 9-11 PM ET on NBC. The special, hosted by Craig Ferguson, features comedy, music performances, and short films that shed light on children in need here at home and around the world.

    Also scheduled for the special are Ellen DeGeneres, Jack Black, Paul Rudd, Julianne Moore, Liam Neeson, Sarah Silverman, Tracy Morgan, Key & Peele, Anna Kendrick, Seth Rogen, Zac Efron and Ellie Kemper, along with Kristen Bell, Emma Watson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Rose Byrne, Blake Griffin, Emma Thompson, Chloë Grace Moretz, Steve Buscemi, Danny Trejo, Adam Devine and Ron Funches. Additional talent will be announced at a later date.

    Created by Oscar nominee and Emmy Award-winning writer-director Richard Curtis, (Love Actually, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill), the idea of Red Nose Day was built upon the foundation that mass media and celebrities can help raise money and awareness of poverty to save and change millions of lives.

    Red Nose Day has raised over $1 billion globally in the last 25 years, and in the UK has become a cultural phenomenon where people across the country come together to have fun, raise money and change lives. Red Nose Day launched in the U.S. in 2015, and raised more than $23 million, with the money now at work in all 50 states and 15 countries internationally through programs to keep children and young people safe, healthy and educated.

    Margot Robbie In Talks To Join Domhnall Gleeson In ‘Goodbye Christopher Robin’ About Winnie The Pooh Creator AA Milne

    (5/18/16) Just a day after news broke that Margot Robbie had been the catalyst for a Harley Quinn spin-off project, Deadline has confirmed the 25-year-old Australian actress is in what we’re hearing is negotiations to appear in Simon Curtis’ Goodbye Christopher Robin. That project, set up at Fox Searchlight, charts the relationship between A.A. Milne and his son, which led to the creation of Winnie the Pooh, named after Milne’s son Robin’s teddy bear. Robin, who initially had a difficult relationship with his father, also served as the inspiration for the character Christopher Robin. The real Robin’s toys also lent their names to other Winnie the Pooh characters such as Tigger, Eyeore and Piglet.

    If the deal completes, Robbie would join Domhnall Gleeson in the film. Brit producer Damian Jones is producing along with former Pinewood Pictures head Steve Christian. Pathe developed the project, which will go through Jones’ first-look production pact with Fox Searchlight, news of which Deadline broke a few weeks ago. Robbie will be seen this summer as Harley Quinn in WB’s Suicide Squad, as well as The Legend Of Tarzan. She’s also co-producing Vaughn Stein’s noir thriller Terminal alongside Tom Ackerley, Josey McNamara, Sophia Kerr under their production company LuckyChap Entertainment, and is attached to star in and co-produce I, Tonya, about disgraced ice skater Tonya Harding. She’s repped by CAA, Management 360, and Aran Michael Management.

    Warner Bros Sparks To Margot Robbie Idea For Female-Centered DC Pic

    (5/16/16) Warner Bros is moving forward with plans for a stand-alone DC Universe pic that will feature all female super heroines. This is all early days, but the idea came from Margot Robbie, who plays anti-hero Harley Quinn in Warners’ upcoming Suicide Squad, which bows August 5. We’re hearing the studio flipped over her take on the project, and she will produce and star in it reprising as Quinn. Other characters in the ether include members of the super heroine Birds Of Prey comics, first published in the early 2000s, on which the premise for this spinoff could be based. Warners is not commenting on the project. THR broke the news of it first.

    Margot Robbie Scores Her First Vogue Cover and Opens Up About Boyfriend Tom Ackerley

    (5/13/16) (Cover) Margot Robbie has officially made it.

    The 25-year-old Australian actress appears on her very first Vogue cover, via the magazine's June 2016 issue. It's a major coupe for any woman in the entertainment industry, to be sure, though Robbie previously thought she'd "made it" in Hollywood after people started spelling her name correctly. After all, it can be spelled in a variety of ways—Margaux, Margo, Margot. "I always said, 'Mom—there was a really cool way of spelling my name, and you picked the boring way that gets everyone confused. They forget the T or call me Mar-got,'" the Legend of Tarzan star explains. "Now everyone's finally spelling my name right—that's how I knew I'd made it."

    All this attention is a bit surreal to Robbie, who comes from a working class background. "I went to a school where all of my friends were very well-off, and I went to their houses a lot, and so I knew what it looked like to be rich but I didn't have it, so I was like: OK—I know exactly what I want," she says. Prior to acting, Robbie worked several odd jobs—tending bar, making sandwiches, selling surfboards—all of which boosted her confidence at a young age. "The whole fake-it-till-you-make-it thing has really worked out for me. The more times you do that, the more you realize that no one really knows what they're doing; everyone's kind of figuring it out or pretending they know until they do know. And you can apply that to anything—you just have to hustle."

    Robbie realized she wanted to be an actress while watching a TV show at age 15. "There was a girl my age doing a scene, and she said her line, and it was just not that good," she recalls. "And I remember thinking, 'I could have done it better.' And then I thought, 'Well, why is she doing it? Why isn't it me?'" After cutting her teeth on the Australian soap opera Neighbours, Robbie moved to L.A. in 2011 and was cast in ABC's short-lived TV series Pan Am. The actress next appeared in Richard Curtis' About Time, followed by Martin Scorsese's The Wolf of Wall Street.

    Oscar winner Jared Leto was blown away by Robbie's performance in the latter film. "She took a role that other people would have had a very difficult time with and elevated it to something spectacular," says Leto, with whom Robbie co-stars in the upcoming movie Suicide Squad. "To be able to stand alongside [Leonardo DiCaprio], one of the titans of the industry, and be there face-to-face, blow for blow, and not only hold her ground but really shine, was kind of a rare, explosive discovery. It reminded me of Michelle Pfeiffer in Scarface." At first, Robbie wasn't even sure she wanted to play Naomi Lapaglia in the biopic of disgraced stockbroker Jordan Belfort. "When I first read it, I thought, 'I have nothing in common with her. I hate her.' It was a really tricky one to get my head around," she says. "But her motivation was, 'You guys are doing it—why shouldn't I? It's this man's world, and I'm going to get mine.' And I understand that."

    Robbie had similar reservations when Warner Bros. approached her about playing Jane in The Legend of Tarzan. "There's no way I was going to play the damsel in distress," she says. The script changed her mind. "It just felt very epic and big and magical in some way. I haven't done a movie like that. The Harry Potter films could have been really cheesy, but David Yates made them into something dark and cool and real—plus it was shooting in London, and I, on a whim, had just signed a lease on a house there."

    Alexander Skarsgard, who plays the titular character, was taken by Robbie from the beginning. "I met her in L.A. about a year before we shot the movie, just before The Wolf of Wall Street came out. She lived in this tiny studio apartment in Hollywood. We were supposed to just have coffee and talk about the project, but we spent the entire day together. I remember being blown away by how cool and down-to-earth she was," he says. "And then Wolf came out, and she went from relative obscurity to being the hottest actress in Hollywood." When the film finally started shooting in London, "She was living in a house with six other people," says Skarsgård, describing it as "kind of a frat-house vibe." As she became more famous, Robbie stayed humble. "On weekends she would go to Amsterdam and sleep in bunk beds in a youth hostel with Canadian backpackers, or to some music festival in Northern England and sleep in a tent," Skarsgård tells the magazine. "She's not precious at all."

    Many of Robbie's co-stars, including Whiskey Tango Foxtrot's Tina Fey, adore the up-and-coming actress for her wicked sense of humor. But the man who adores Robbie most is Tom Ackerly, the assistant director she met in 2013 on the set of the World War II drama Suite Française. Robbie describes her boyfriend as "the best-looking guy in London." But not long before they met, she tells Vogue, "I was the ultimate single gal. The idea of relationships made me want to vomit. And then this crept up on me. We were friends for so long. I was always in love with him, but I thought, 'Oh, he would never love me back. Don't make it weird, Margot. Don't be stupid and tell him that you like him.' And then it happened, and I was like, 'Of course we're together. This makes so much sense, the way nothing has ever made sense before.'"

    What Does Margot Robbie Do When She's Off-Duty? It Involves a Tattoo Gun

    (5/13/16) These days, acting isn’t the only thing that Suicide Squad star Margot Robbie is good at — she just revealed that she has another major talent: Drawing tattoos.

    In her cover story for Vogue‘s June issue (she covers the mag in sexy leopard Michael Kors Collection swimsuit!), Robbie shares that her skills stray far beyond performing in hit films. When she’s not acting, you can find her drawing tattoos on her friends and co-stars, using a tattoo gun given to her by her best friend Sophia.

    The star tells Vogue that while shooting Suicide Squad, “People would come into my trailer: ‘Hey Margs – can I get a tattoo?’ “Sure, sit on down!'”

    So what celebs have landed on her list of clientele? Cara Delevingne, for starters, who had Robbie draw a different emoji on the bottom of each one of her toes.

    But once the cast saw her work, they all joined in — including the film’s director. “And then we all decided to get Squad tattoos, David Ayer [director] included,” the actress adds.

    For more from Robbie, head over to Vogue.

    Kate Upton, Mike Vogel, Christine Woods Join Indie Comedy ‘Wild Man’

    (4/22/16) Kate Upton, Mike Vogel and Christine Woods have joined coming-of-age indie comedy Wild Man. The movie stars Ted Welch (The Help) and George Dalton (Netflix’s Wet Hot American Summer) as unlikely friends who meet when Bo (Welch) serves house arrest across the street from Elliott (Dalton).

    Upton will play Bo’s bohemian girlfriend, with Vogel playing a suburban boat salesman — and Bo’s nemesis. Woods plays the female lead, a single mom and Bo’s former classmate.

    Wild Man is produced by Jacquie Phillips and Sarena Khan with Brian Adler and co-executive produced by Christopher Barkley and Nicholas Buggs of Bonsai Creative Enterprises. Welch co-wrote the screenplay with Stefanie Black, who serves as co-director with Phillips and has a supporting role in the film. She is repped by Authentic Talent and Literary.

    Upton is repped by WME, LBI Entertainment and Grubman Shire & Meiselas. Vogel is repped by WME, GEF Entertainment and Sloane Offer. Woods is repped by Gersh and Management 360.

    Margot Robbie ''Beat Me Up'' During ''Animalistic'' Sex Scene, Says Tarzan Co-Star Alexander Skarsgård

    (4/18/16) We've seen Alexander Skarsgard's incredibly hot body in the upcoming The Legend of Tarzan, but what really has us salivating looking forward to the new flick is his sex scene with Margot Robbie.

    We caught up with the two stars at CinemaCon and had to ask about the much talked about romp.

    "Our director [David Yates] wanted it to be primal and animalistic," Skarsgård explained. "What I kind of liked about this script was that when you first meet them, they are very civilizedit's not loin cloth, 'me Tarzan , you Jane.' It's them in London very buttoned up, he's drinking tea with the prime minister and then they go back to the jungle. When they have their first sex scene it's in the little village that she lived in as a teenager. David kind of egged us on and wanted it to feel very primal and she beat me up."

    Not exactly, says Robbie.

    "I didn't injure him," she clarified. "I guess we got caught up in the moment. I didn't punch him in the face. I'm getting a bad rep that I hit all my co-stars."

    As for Skarsgård's incredible physique, Robbie said of seeing him shirtless, "My mind was blank and my jaw was on the floor with everyone else in the crew. People stopped working. Even the men were just like, 'Whoa.' It's amazing. He worked so hard. I've never possessed the self-discipline to get in shape like that, I'm so impressed."

    Skarsgård previously told me he trained for several months before shooting began.

    "I obviously had a very good trainer," he said. "I basically had him and a nutritionist. I've never done anything like this before, this extreme. I was just really nervous. It was a big challenge and I didn't know how my body would respond to the training and diet."

    The Legend of Tarzan swings into theaters on July 1.

    Margot Robbie Attached To Play Disgraced Ice Skater Tonya Harding In ‘I,Tonya’

    (3/21/16) Margot Robbie has come attached to I, Tonya, a script by Steven Rogers about the crazy story of Tonya Harding. Remember her? She was the ice princess who emerged from a poor upbringing and rough childhood in Portland, OR to rise to the top of the sport of figure skating with a ferocious determination and athleticism that allowed her to become the first American woman to complete the triple axel in major competitions. That propelled her to victory in the 1991 U.S. Figure Skating Championships and second in the World Championships.

    She was expected to battle Nancy Kerrigan for gold in the 1994 Olympic Games in Lillehammer. Of course, Harding is mostly known for the infamy that occurred when her husband, Jeff Gillooly, and a couple of hired thugs tried to incapacitate Kerrigan by breaking her leg. They merely bruised Kerrigan, got caught, and Gillooly turned against his wife as he tried to stay out of jail. Kerrigan wound up winning the silver medal at that Olympics, and the completely distracted Harding finished eighth as her life was circling the drain. As the ensuing scandal unfolded, the USFSA stripped Harding of her 1994 championship and banned her for life.

    I, Tonya is being produced by Bryan Unkeless and his Clubhouse Pictures. Robbie also is coming aboard in a producing capacity through her LuckyChap Entertainment banner. Unkeless also is producing Bright, the Max Landis-scripted David Ayer-directed Will Smith-Joel Edgerton pic that just sold in a massive sale to Netflix. There is no director on I, Tonya yet, but Robbie is taking it upon herself to find a filmmaker to build this project around herself. Financiers also are circling.

    Depending on how it’s done, it has the potential to be another To Die For, the Gus Van Sant-directed film that starred Nicole Kidman in a tale of naked ambition and the price for fame. Rogers wrote his script after doing extensive interviews with both Harding and Gillooly, capturing the absurdity of what happened but also the tragic part of the Harding saga, and trying to come from nothing to prominence in a sport where most of the competitors are the children of wealthy families that can afford all the ice time and trainers needed to get to that high a level.

    Robbie has shown a propensity for taking risks, which led to her breakout turn in The Wolf Of Wall Street. She next stars in the Warner Bros summer pic Suicide Squad in a cast that includes her Focus star Smith, and she also stars this summer in The Legend Of Tarzan. She most recently starred opposite Tina Fey in Whisky Tango Foxtrot. She is repped by CAA, Management 360, Australia-based Aran Michael Management and Jackoway, Tyerman. Rogers is repped by Gersh and Grandview.

    Ashley Greene Shares Her Favorite Splurges: Grits, Cheese and Wine!

    (3/9/16) For Ashley Greene, staying healthy is all about balance, especially when it comes to what she eats.

    “What I put into my body has a huge impact on the results I get out of it,” the actress, 29, says in the April issue of SHAPE. “Eating keeps my metabolism cranking.”

    Greene’s diet mainly consists of fish, chicken and vegetables. She is also a master of healthy swaps – the Twilight star (in a THEPERFEXT Bella Top on the cover) opts for spaghetti squash instead of pasta and cauliflower instead of mashed potatoes.

    “These foods energize me for my workouts,” she explained.

    But she definitely makes room for splurges as well, telling the magazine her favorites are grits, cheese, red wine, and chocolate!

    Greene makes up for her occasional cheat meal with a dedicated fitness regimen, and swears by early morning workouts.

    “To fit my workout into my day, I have to be out the door early,” she said. “That means I don’t have time to think about whether I’m tired or to come up with excuses. And I’ve found that when I exercise in the morning, I have a much more productive day. After I finish my workout, I feel as if I can conquer the world.”

    When she can, Greene loves to exercise outside, whether it’s going hiking or surfing.

    “Getting outdoors is so refreshing to me,” she said. “It’s a combination of the exercise, soaking up my surroundings, and clearing my mind. It’s my happy place.”

    2016 MTV Movie Award nominations

    (3/8/16) Fan voting is now open http://www.mtv.com/ontv/movieawards/. The awards, hosted by Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart, air Sunday, April 10 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on MTV.

    Best Kiss
    Amy Schumer & Bill Hader – “Trainwreck”
    Dakota Johnson & Jamie Dornan – “Fifty Shades of Grey”
    Leslie Mann & Chris Hemsworth – “Vacation”
    Margot Robbie & Will Smith – “Focus”
    Morena Baccarin & Ryan Reynolds – “Deadpool”
    Rebel Wilson & Adam DeVine – “Pitch Perfect 2”.

    Review: 'Whiskey Tango Foxtrot' looks inside war reporting

    (3/2/16) Journalism is having a moment at the movies.

    Days after the journalism procedural "Spotlight" won best picture at the Academy Awards, Paramount is releasing "Whiskey Tango Foxtrot," a comic drama about war reporting with Tina Fey as a rookie correspondent finding her way.

    Fey plays Kim Baker, a 40-something New York TV producer summoned to a meeting of "unmarried, childless personnel" to consider a three-month assignment embedded with U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Three months becomes three years, 2004 to 2006, as Baker evolves from clueless newbie to savvy reporter, navigating the country's repressive cultural norms and the off-the-clock lifestyle of drunken debauchery shared by her expatriate colleagues.

    Longtime Fey collaborator Robert Carlock ("30 Rock," ''Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt") based the screenplay on former Chicago Tribute reporter Kim Barker's memoir "The Taliban Shuffle: Strange Days in Afghanistan and Pakistan."

    If "finding yourself" in your 40s is a cinematic cliché, "Whiskey Tango Foxtrot" is guilty. And it will surely be criticized for casting white actors as key Afghan characters. But the film offers a fresh look at the adrenaline-laced lifestyle of war correspondents and a timely criticism of TV news. And it delivers some laughs, too.

    Fey's Baker is sorely unprepared for her new circumstances. It's like she's even lost her New York smarts when she takes out a wad of American cash on a busy Kabul street. She forgets her headscarf and barges into places where women aren't allowed.

    Her translator, Fahim (Christopher Abbot), tries to protect her in the field, while fellow journalist Tanya Vanderpoel (Margot Robbie) guides her through the rowdy ex-pat social scene.

    As Baker adapts to her new cultures, she develops a professional relationship with an Afghan official, Sadiq (Alfred Molina, always outstanding), and a romantic one with fellow reporter Iain (Martin Freeman). Both test the limits of how far she's willing to go for a story.

    Directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, "Whiskey Tango Foxtrot" ("WTF," get it?) may be more drama than comedy, which suits the subject matter. Many of the laughs come from subtitles translating the local language Baker inevitably misunderstands. Others come from Fey's bumbling and Col. Walter Hollanek's (Billy Bob Thornton), no-nonsense intolerance for such behavior.

    Ultimately, Baker faces two challenges in the film: the farfetched one of rescuing her boyfriend from Taliban kidnappers, and the more realistic one of not finding an audience for news from what one soldier she interviews describes as a "forgotten war, capital F, capital W."

    "Everyone loves the troops," a TV producer tells Baker, but no one wants to see them on TV anymore.

    As newspapers have closed and news conglomerates grown, realistic portrayals of the people who gather news are critical to the survival of journalism as a democratic institution. Like the HBO documentary "Jim: The James Foley Story," ''WTF" explores what motivates war correspondents, that pursuit of adrenaline and truth. Like "Spotlight," which follows four investigative reporters uncovering the Catholic Church's child-molestation scandal, "WTF" shows the tenacity characteristic of reporters on any beat.

    So let journalism have its moment, "WTF." Oscar and Tina Fey are fine representatives.

    "Whiskey Tango Foxtrot," a Paramount Pictures release, is rated R by the Motion Picture Association of America for "pervasive language, some sexual content, drug use and violent war images." Running time: 111 minutes. Three stars out of four.

    Carry On Up the Khyber: Afghan war comedy hits cinemas

    (2/23/16) War in Afghanistan may be no laughing matter but a new comedy starring Tina Fey based on the memoir of an American war reporter opens next week as a modern-day "Carry on Up the Khyber."

    "Whiskey Tango Foxtrot" shortened euphemistically to "WTF" recounts the exploits of a cable news producer who swaps office drudgery and a lackluster boyfriend in New York for life on the front line.

    It opens at cinemas on March 4, starring Fey as heroine Kim, Australian actress Margot Robbie as beautiful TV reporter Tanya, Billy Bob Thornton as a gruff US colonel, and British actors Martin Freeman and Alfred Molina as Fey's hapless love interest and long-suffering Afghan fixer.

    The action is basely loosely on "The Taliban Shuffle," a pithy 2011 memoir written by journalist Kim Barker of her time as South Asia bureau chief for The Chicago Tribune from 2004 to 2009.

    The book is a hilarious romp round Afghanistan and Pakistan by a ballsy reporter dropped in at the deep end to confront war and cultural differences, party with the expat set and juggle unsatisfactory romantic entanglements.

    "There actually are so many great war comedies," Fey told reporters, defending the decision to make Hollywood entertainment out of a conflict that last year recorded 11,002 civilian casualties -- the highest number since 2009.

    "This movie at its core I think is a human story, it's about relationships," said Fey. "It's about a woman who's sort of making a choice to blow up her existing life and go on this adventure, for lack of a better word."

    The movie focuses on Afghanistan, deleting Barker's adventures in Pakistan and her account of being romantically pursued by former Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who was re-elected two years after the book was published.

    - Amorous Afghan -

    "WTF" changes Barker's name to Baker, re-packages her as a TV producer and inserts an amorous Afghan attorney general who has a crush on her.

    Much of the script is made-up -- including a rescue of her kidnapped boyfriend -- but the movie captures the spirit of the memoir before accelerating Taliban attacks shut down much of Kabul's high-octane, expat scene.

    In a sequence of events that would make any journalist green with envy, the film came about after Fey read a New York Times review of the book comparing Barker to "a sort of Tina Fey character."

    "Because I'm an egomaniac and a moron, that really spoke to me... so I got hold of the book," Fey said. She "loved" it and quickly set about getting it adapted.

    Barker said it was exciting to be played by one of America's most acclaimed female comedy stars, and appeared philosophical about the changes inevitable in adapting a book to the big screen.

    "It's Hollywood," she said. "You can't get too wrapped up in it."

    Filming in Afghanistan was never an option, so the production team scoured locations in Israel, India and Abu Dhabi before settling on New Mexico, home to hit TV narcotics thriller "Breaking Bad."

    One success of the movie is the believable set. Street scenes resemble those in Kabul. Fey's interactions with the military also ring true.

    A US para jumper who lost a leg in Helmand and an Afghan former translator for the US military, worked as advisors.

    - Accurate -

    Military personnel helped build the remote outpost where Fey goes to report and actors filmed a scene on UH-1 Huey helicopters.

    Iranian-born filmmaker Gelareh Kiazand travelled to Kabul to capture footage, and so the staging was a mix of digital tricks and giant sets, including parts of New Mexico's state penitentiary turned into Kabul airport.

    Barker said she had seen the movie twice -- the first time "terrified" with her brother -- but said she was "really pleased" with the result.

    "I think that it is really accurate to my narrative arc and to the absurdity of how we lived over there and to the sadness that we saw and to the war that continues to go on in Afghanistan," she said.

    If Barker's book was criticized by some for focusing too heavily on her escapades, the political context she offered has been lost entirely.

    "To me, as a dumb American, Afghanistan I could get my mind around," said screenwriter Robert Carlock. But Pakistan, a nuclear ally of the United States accused of sponsoring the Taliban, was a step too far.

    For box office purposes that's probably just as well.

    War fatigue is high in the United States. Nearly 10,000 US troops are still based in Afghanistan and yet the 14-year conflict barely features in the 2016 race for the White House.

    A comedy can sell. A serious movie, perhaps not.

    ‘Dream Team’ ABC Pilot Casts Michael Mosley, Lindsey Kraft & Michelle Buteau

    (2/16/16) Michael Mosley (Sirens), Lindsey Kraft (Getting On) and Michelle Buteau (Key & Peele) are set as series regulars on Dream Team, ABC’s single-camera half-hour from comedy writers Kari Lizer and Bill Wrubel, and Warner Horizon TV.

    Written/executive produced by Lizer and Wrubel, Dream Team centers on Marty Schumacher, who coached his last Club soccer team for ten years, ultimately taking them to the National Championships. He now has to start from scratch with a diverse group of eight-year-olds, and their disparate parents.

    Mosley will play Rick Johnson. Although he doesn’t consider girls’ soccer a “real sport,” he’s completely on board with getting his daughter, Tiffnee, onto a top-notch soccer team. Kraft will play Michaela, who’s married to Leslie (a competitive OB-GYN with a passion for sports) and is horrified by the idea of being a soccer mom, knowing full well most of the heavy lifting will fall to her. Buteau is Olga Diaz, the mother of 11-year-old Vanessa, who’s vying for a spot on the soccer team. Olga approaches everything as if it’s a competition she’s got to win.

    Mosley starred as Johnny on USA’s Sirens, and recurred on Castle and Longmire. Kraft played Marguerite Macaw on HBO’s Getting On. She is repped by The Burstein Co. and SDB Partners.

    Margot Robbie To Star In Vaughn Stein’s ‘Terminal’; Highland Film Group Financing & Selling – Berlin

    (2/12/16) Margot Robbie has boarded Vaughn Stein’s noir thriller Terminal. David Barron of BeaglePug (Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2) and Molly Hassell (The Trust) will produce alongside Tom Ackerley, Josey McNamara, Sophia Kerr and Robbie under their production company LuckyChap Entertainment. Stein is also penning the screenplay, with Highland Film Group financing and selling in Berlin. CAA is handling the U.S. rights.

    Terminal details the story of two hit men as they embark on a borderline suicide mission for a mysterious employer and a high paycheck. Along the way the unlikely pair find a dynamic woman named Annie (Robbie) may be more involved than they had originally suspected.

    Robbie will next be seen in Paramount’s Whiskey Tango Foxtrot which opens March 4 and is repped by Management 360 and CAA, who arranged for the financing and negotiated on behalf of the filmmakers.

    Highland Film Group recently wrapped on Lin Oeding’s thriller Braven starring Jason Momoa. Its slate includes Kevin Connolly’s Gotti starring John Travolta, Elliott Lester’s 478 starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Blink starring Jamie Foxx, Steven C. Miller’s Marauders starring Bruce Willis and the Brewer Brothers’ The Trust starring Nicolas Cage and Elijah Wood.

    THE BIG SHORT Behind The Scenes (2015) Margot Robbie

    (1/15/16) THE BIG SHORT Behind The Scenes (2015) Margot Robbie: Video.

    Ashley Greene: Settles with Doorman in Apartment Fire Lawsuit

    (1/4/16) "Twilight" star Ashley Greene has put a 2 year legal dispute over an apartment fire to bed.

    We've learned Ashley settled a case with Adrian Mayorga, the doorman of the legendary West Hollywood building which Ashley accidentally torched ... apparently with a candle.

    Mayorga claimed he was hurt while running through the smoke-filled hallways, yelling for residents to flee.

    The settlement is for an undisclosed amount.

    Ashley's Fox Terrier, Marlo, died in the blaze.

    Margot Robbie Sizes Up Tina Fey in Hilarious Whiskey Tango Foxtrot Trailer

    (12/17/15) Margot Robbie Sizes Up Tina Fey in Hilarious Whiskey Tango Foxtrot Trailer: video.

    ‘The Legend Of Tarzan’ Trailer: First Look At Alexander Skarsgard-Margot Robbie Pic

    (12/9/15) ‘The Legend Of Tarzan’ Trailer: First Look At Alexander Skarsgard-Margot Robbie Pic: Video.

    SAG Awards Nominations For Former Soap Stars

    (12/9/15) Final voting by all SAG members will be due January 29, with winners revealed at the ceremony January 30 live on TNT and TBS.

    Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
    NICOLE KIDMAN / Grace – “GRACE OF MONACO” (Lifetime)
    QUEEN LATIFAH / Bessie Smith – “BESSIE” (HBO)
    CHRISTINA RICCI / Lizzie Borden – “THE LIZZIE BORDEN CHRONICLES” (Lifetime)
    SUSAN SARANDON / Gladys Mortenson – “THE SECRET LIFE OF MARILYN MONROE” (Lifetime)
    KRISTEN WIIG / Delores DeWinter – “THE SPOILS BEFORE DYING” (IFC)

    Billy Campbell & Karine Vanasse Cast As Leads In CTV Drama ‘Cardinal’

    (12/1/15) Billy Campbell (The Killing) and Revenge alum Karine Vanasse have been cast as leads in CTV’s six-part one-hour drama series Cardinal (working title).

    The cinematic murder mystery, adapted from Giles Blunt’s novel Forty Words For Sorrow, the first of the John Cardinal Mysteries series, stars Campbell as the intelligent, reflective, and dogged detective named John Cardinal, from the northern city of Algonquin Bay, who is burdened by a wrong he committed years ago. Vanasse will play Cardinal’s partner Lise Delorme, a shrewd, tough, imaginative, and gifted investigator from the town’s French Canadian community. Cardinal will premiere as part of CTV’s 2016/17 schedule, with production set to begin in February 2016.

    Campbell starred in AMC’s The Killing and is also known for his role as Rick Sammler on ABC drama Once And Again. Film credits include cult classic The Rocketeer, Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Enough. Vanasse’s recent television credits include ABC’s Revenge and Pan Am and the upcoming French series Blue Moon. She has had lead roles in films including Polytechnique, which she also co-produced.

    Cardinal is produced by Sienna Films and eOne in association with Bell Media’s CTV.

    Find Out How You Can Own a Piece of Under the Dome

    (11/23/15) Is your holiday shopping at a standstill because you can't find the perfect gift for the Under the Dome fan in your life? Here's your chance.

    ScreenBid and Under the Dome are partnering up to host an auction that will feature more than 500 pieces of memorabilia from the show, which was recently canceled by CBS. The items will include wardrobe pieces, set decorations and props that were actually used in the series - from rubber asphalt from the dome's edge to Barbie's (Mike Vogel) dog tag.

    The auction will kick off on Cyber Monday, Nov. 30. Fans can preview some of the items beforehand on the bidding site.

    Ashley Greene’s apartment fire case suffers a setback

    (11/6/15) “Twilight” star Ashley Greene suffered a setback in a suit against her filed by tenants of her former LA building who claim a fire in her West Hollywood apartment in March 2013 damaged their units and caused them health problems.

    Sources tell us that last week Greene’s lawyers asked the court to let her skip a deposition, to keep any depositions in the case confidential, and that plaintiffs, who include John Luciano and Adrian Mayorga, not be present.

    One source said her plea was due to work conflicts and because there have been incorrect leaks in the case. Her requests were denied and she’ll have to be deposed within 30 days. Her rep did not comment.

    Empire Cover: Margot Robbie

    (10/28/15) Empire Cover: Margot Robbie

    Chris Martin and Annabelle Wallis Kiss, Can't Keep Their Hands Off Each Other in Paris

    (10/18/15) Chris Martin and British actress Annabelle Wallis kept their romance light and playful as they walked around Paris hand-in-hand on Saturday.

    The pair, who were first spotted together in August, were openly affectionate as they embraced and shared several kisses.

    Wallis, 31, of The Tudors and Peaky Blinders, beamed as she and Martin chatted and dance around the French capital's streets.

    Despite Wallis and the Coldplay crooner's PDA, a source tells PEOPLE that Martin isn't looking to immediately settle down after splitting from actress Jennifer Lawrence in August.

    "He's a nice guy, just having fun. What woman wouldn't like that," the source says.

    Martin, 38, was married for 10 years to Gwyneth Paltrow before they "consciously uncoupled" in March of last year. The two have remained close, often spending time with their children, Apple, 11, and Moses, 9, together.

    Lawrence and the musician dated on-and-off over the past year, but broke up for a second time because, according to a Lawrence pal, she got "tired" of him "being so noncommittal."

    Bradley Cooper and Ashley Greene are ‘Workout Buddies’!

    (10/1/15) (Pic) Sometimes a gym can be just as star-filled as a red carpet!

    Ashley Greene and Bradley Cooper recently sweat it out together at Rise Nation Fitness Studio in West Hollywood, California.

    The Twilight star, 28, posted an Instagram photo with the actor, 40 — dressed down in a gray T-shirt and baseball cap — along with the gym’s owner, personal trainer Jason Walsh.

    “Not the worst looking group of @risenation workout buddies. See you soooooon @risemovement #werise #weclimb,” the actress captioned the snap.

    Greene and Cooper aren’t the only famous fans of the gym, which utilizes a climbing machine and promises “the first true 30-minute full body workout” – Hilary Duff loves the workouts too!

    “It’s really changed my body, and it looks really hard, but it’s 30 minutes, and you can do anything for 30 minutes,” Duff, 28, told PEOPLE at the fitness studio’s grand opening in August. “Obviously I have a 3-year-old and doing things quickly is important for me, but it’s kind of addicting!”

    We even tried the workout ourselves, and totally understand why there are so many celebrity fans!

    “The climber requires you to move your legs and arms at all times, so you really do get a full-body workout,” says a staffer. “The class makes you break a sweat within the first minute, so it was an exhausting experience but also fun – once I figured out the machine, it felt like a really intense dance class. Any workout that gets me in and out in 30 minutes is a winner in my book!”

    Amazon Confirms 6 Pilots From Shane Black, Sacha Baron Cohen, Tig Notaro & Louis CK, Others

    (9/23/15) Amazon Studios, coming off its first Emmy wins for Transparent, once again waited for its pilots to be fully cast and in various stages of production to announce them. This morning the streaming service officially unveiled its lineup of 6 fall 2015 pilots: Western Edge, from Shane Black and Fred Dekker, starring Max Martini, Ryan Kwanten and Yvonne Strahovski; the 1969 newsroom-set Good Girls Revolt, starring Genevieve Angelson, Chris Diamantopoulos and Jim Belushi; Highston, a comedy about a 19-year old (Lewis Pullman) produced by Sacha Baron Cohen and co-starring Mary Lynn Rajskub and Chris Parnell, with Shaq and Flea playing themselves; Tig Notaro/Diablo Cody/Louis CK’s dark comedy One Mississippi; political thriller Patriot co-starring Terry O’Quinn; and Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald bio-series Z starring Christina Ricci, directed by Tim Blake Nelson. Not included is David E. Kelley’s legal drama Trial starring Billy Bob Thornton, which is expected to go straight to series. Here are detailed descriptions of Amazon’s six newly announced pilots with full casting information:

    Edge

    Based on George G. Gilman’s best-selling book series of the same name, which has been described as “the most violent western in print,” Edge showcases the sly, raw power of the western genre. Set in 1868, Max Martini (Pacific Rim, Captain Phillips) stars as Josiah ‘Edge’ Hedges—a Union officer turned cowboy, who prowls the post-Civil War American West doling out his own peculiar (and savage) brand of justice. When we meet Edge in the pilot, his mission is personal and his vengeance hath no fury. Edge also stars Ryan Kwanten (True Blood) as Merritt Harknett, and Yvonne Strahovski (The Astronaut Wives Club, Chuck) as Beth. Edge was developed by Shane Black (Lethal Weapon, Iron Man 3) and Fred Dekker (Tales from the Crypt, Star Trek: Enterprise), teleplay by Dekker and Black, is directed by Black, and executive produced by Black, Dekker, Barry Josephson (Bones, Turn: Washington Spies), and David Greenblatt (Battle Los Angeles).

    Good Girls Revolt

    In 1969, while a cultural revolution with a soundtrack to match swept through the free world, there was still one place that refused to change with the times: newsrooms.Good Girls Revolt follows a group of young female researchers at “News of the Week,” who simply ask to be treated fairly. Their revolutionary request will spark convulsive changes and upend marriages, careers, sex lives, love lives, and friendships. Good Girls Revolt stars Genevieve Angelson (Backstrom) as Patti, Anna Camp (Pitch Perfect) as Jane, Erin Darke (We Need to Talk About Kevin) as Cindy, Chris Diamantopoulos (Silicon Valley) as Finn, Hunter Parrish (Weeds) as Doug, Jim Belushi (Show Me a Hero) as Wick McFadden, Joy Bryant (Parenthood) as Eleanor Holmes Norton, and Grace Gummer as Nora Ephron. A co-production with TriStar Television, Good Girls Revolt is written and created by Dana Calvo (Made in Jersey), directed by Liza Johnson (Return), and executive produced by Calvo, Lynda Obst (Interstellar), Darlene Hunt (The Big C),Don Kurt (Justified) and Jeff Okin (Dark Skies, Stanley Park). The pilot is inspired by the landmark sexual discrimination cases chronicled in Lynn Povich’s book, The Good Girls Revolt.

    Highston

    Highston Liggetts (newcomer Lewis Pullman) is a 19-year-old with a wide circle of celebrity friends—that only he can see. His parents, Jean (Mary Lynn Rajskub, 24), and Wilbur (Chris Parnell, Saturday Night Live) force him to get psychiatric help, but his Uncle Billy (Curtis Armstrong, American Dad!) thinks he’s just fine. Highston is a comedy about what it means to be normal in a world that’s anything but. The pilot guest stars Shaquille O’Neal (Thunderstruck) and Flea (The Big Lewbowski), and is written by Oscar-nominee Bob Nelson (Nebraska), directed by Independent Spirit Award winners Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris (Little Miss Sunshine), and executive produced by Sacha Baron Cohen (The Dictator), Todd Hoffman (Love Stinks), Nelson, and Todd Schulman (Bruno).

    One Mississippi

    A dark comedy, loosely inspired by Tig Notaro’s (Boyish Girl Interrupted) life, One Mississippi follows Tig as she deals with the complex reentry into her childhood hometown of Bay Saint Lucille, Mississippi, to deal with the unexpected death of her mother, the interminable life of the party, Caroline. Reeling from her own recently declining health, Tig struggles to find her footing with the loss of the one person who actually understood her, with help from her older but not always wiser brother, Remy, played by Noah Harpster (Transparent), and her emotionally distant stepfather, Bill, played by John Rothman (The Devil Wears Prada). A surprise visit from Tig’s girlfriend, Brooke, played by Casey Wilson (Gone Girl) only compounds the reality of how out of place Tig is in a world without her mother. A co-production with FX Productions, One Mississippi is written and executive produced by Notaro and Diablo Cody (Juno), executive produced by Louis CK (Louie), Blair Breard (Louie), and Dave Becky (Everybody Hates Chris), with pilot directed and executive produced by Nicole Holofcener (Enough Said).

    Patriot

    The political thriller Patriot follows the complicated life of intelligence officer John Tavner (Australian newcomer Michael Dorman, Wonderland). His latest assignment is to prevent Iran from going nuclear, requiring him to forgo all safety nets and assume a perilous “non-official cover” — that of a mid-level employee at a Midwestern industrial piping firm. A bout with PTSD, the Federal government’s incompetence, and the intricacies of keeping a day job in the “front” industrial piping company, cause a barrage of ever-escalating fiascos that jeopardize Tavner’s mission. The pilot also stars Terry O’Quinn (Lost) as Tom Tavner, John’s State Department Director of Intelligence father, Michael Chernus (Manhattan Project), as John’s older brother Edward Tavner, a young Texas congressman, Kathleen Munroe (Call Me Fitz), as John’s wife Alice, Aliette Opheim (Sandor slash Ida) as Agathe, a brilliant young homicide detective from Luxembourg hot on John’s trail, and Kurtwood Smith (That 70s Show) as Mr. Claret, John’s stickler of a new “boss” at the piping firm. Patriot is written and directed by Steven Conrad (The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, The Weather Man), and executive produced by Conrad, Gil Bellows (Temple Grandin), Glen Ficarra (Crazy Stupid Love, Focus), Charlie Gogolak (Focus), and John Requa (Crazy Stupid Love, Focus).

    Z

    Z is a bio-series pilot based on the life of Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald, the brilliant, beautiful and talented Southern Belle who becomes the original flapper and icon of the wild, flamboyant Jazz Age in the 20s. Starring Christina Ricci (Monster) as Zelda Sayre, Z starts before she meets the unpublished writer F. Scott Fitzgerald (Gavin Stenhouse,Allegiance), and moves through their passionate, turbulent love affair and their marriage—made in heaven, lived out in hell as the celebrity couple of their time. The series travels through the wild parties, the wicked jazz, the dissolute artists of the era, as well as the alcoholism, adultery and struggle with dashed dreams and mental illness that characterizes their later years. Z dives into the fascinating life of a woman ahead of her time, an artist determined to establish her own identity in the tempestuous wake of a world-famous husband. The show pulls back the curtain on her triumphs and dark secrets. It’s a modern take on one of the most notorious love stories of all time, played out in salons and speak-easies from Montgomery, Alabama to the Cote D’Azur. Z is written by Dawn Prestwich (The Killing) and Nicole Yorkin (The Killing), directed by Tim Blake Nelson (Anesthesia), and executive produced by Pamela Koffler (Still Alice) and Christine Vachon (One Hour Photo) of Killer Films, as well as Ricci. The show also guest stars David Strathairn (Good Night and Good Luck) as Judge Anthony Dickerson Sayre, Kristine Nielsen (Savages) as Minnie Sayre, Maya Kazan (The Knick) as Livye Hart, Sarah Schenkkan (30 Rock) as Eleanor Browder, Jamie Anne Allman (The Killing) as Tootsie Sayre, and Holly Curran (Alpha House) as Tilde Sayre.

    Margot Robbie the hit of Cantor Fitzgerald’s charity telethon

    (9/12/15) (Pic) Traders couldn’t get enough of “Wolf of Wall Street” star Margot Robbie at Cantor Fitzgerald’s annual Charity Day telethon.

    Robbie was inundated with so many questions from callers, organizers had to step in.

    “In some of the scenes they used actual porn stars and they had to cut a lot out,” she told callers of the Leo DiCaprio movie.

    Someone wanted to talk to her “Suicide Squad” co-star. “No, it’s not possible to talk to Ben Affleck,” she replied.

    50 Cent was heard telling a caller, “There’s about 20 hot girls in here, and they all are saying that you should be making the trade.”

    Dr. Ruth said her tactic was to “promise them terrific sex.” A-Rod, Ed Burns and Whoopi Goldberg also manned phones. The event raised $12 million.

    ‘Under The Dome’ To End After 3 Seasons

    (9/1/15) Under The Dome, the series that ushered in a new business model for original summer scripted series on CBS and helped blur the lines between in and off-season with big premiere ratings, is ending its run. The upcoming Season 3 finale on September 10 will serve as a series finale as CBS has opted not to order a fourth season. The cancellation of Under The Dome bodes well for CBS’ other bubble summer drama, Extant, whose renewal chances have now significantly improved. (CBS brass also have been bullish on the sci-fi series’ creative reboot in Season 2.) Freshman Zoo, the strongest of the three this summer, has been expected to be renewed all along. CBS already has ordered a new drama series for next summer, BrainDead. Word is that, if the network only brings back two existing dramas, there may be room for a second new drama series next summer.

    Under The Dome was a phenomenon when it launched in June 2013 with 17.8 million Live+7 viewers tuning in for the premiere, the highest summer drama debut in 21 years and the second-highest-rated opener of the 2012–13 season. The adaptation of the Stephen King novel could not sustain the initial ratings highs and has been on decline ever since. (It also has drawn gripes from fans with some of its plot twists.) Still, Dome remained one of the most watched summer shows for the past three summers. It also introduced a new model, with the TV premiere of an episode followed by a streaming debut just a few days later, which, paired with strong international sales, made Under The Dome profitable for producer CBS TV Studios even without its CBS run. CBS and CBS Studios replicated the model with two other series, Extant and Zoo. Amazon was the studio’s streaming partner on Dome and Extant; Netflix is carrying Zoo. All three seasons of Under The Dome will continue to be available for unlimited streaming on Amazon’s Prime Video where Dome has been a solid performer.

    “Two years ago, Under The Dome broke new ground in the summer and became an instant hit on CBS, as well as with viewers around the world,” said Nina Tassler, Chairman, CBS Entertainment. “Dome’s event storytelling and multi-platform business model paved the way for more original summer programming with the successful rollouts of Extant and Zoo. We’re excited to present the final chapter in Chester’s Mill as the story comes full circle, with the Dome coming down as dramatically as it went up.”

    Per CBS, “in the series finale, when the Dome comes down, many questions about its origin and power will be answered, as two groups of residents engage in one final conflict that some won’t survive.” Here is a promo for the finale:

    Under The Dome stars Mike Vogel, Rachelle Lefevre, Dean Norris, Eddie Cahill, Alexander Koch, Colin Ford, Mackenzie Lintz and Kylie Bunbury star. The series is produced by CBS Television Studios and Amblin Television. Steven Spielberg, Neal Baer, Justin Falvey, Darryl Frank, Stacey Snider, Tim Schlattmann and Peter Leto are executive producers.

    Suicide Squad Stars Margot Robbie and Jai Courtney Visit Toronto Girl's Lemonade Stand to Help Her Sick Brother

    (8/26/15) (Pic) Suicide Squad stars Margot Robbie and Jai Courtney don't just help save lives on the big screen…they're also real-life superheroes!

    The duo visited a young Toronto girl's lemonade stand over the weekend to help her raise money in finding a cure for her brother's rare neurological illness.

    Five-year-old Na'ama Uzan's older brother, Nadav, suffers from Angelman syndrome. The rare congenital disorder is caused by genetic malformations, making it difficult for the 7-year-old to walk or talk and giving him frequent seizures.

    Na'ama—a superhero in her own right—opened the lemonade stand in 2014 to raise money for the Foundation for Angelman Syndrome Therapeutics. So when Robbie and Courtney found out about it while filming in Toronto, they absolutely had to pay a visit.

    "I heard about Na'ama's story and what she's doing for her brother Nadav," Courtney told CTV Toronto while visiting the lemonade stand. "There's no act too small when you're talking about making a difference."

    Both stars were blown away by Na'ama's dedication to the charity, especially considering her young age.

    Robbie couldn't help but note, "I used to do little stands like this when I was little and I'd just spend the profits on lollies at the corner store. I'm glad she's doing something far more noble with the cause."

    So far, Na'ama has raised more than $64,000 for the foundation, which has helped put several clinical trials for the disease in place. She eve has a research chair dedicated in her name to finding a cure for Angelman syndrome.

    Did Margot Robbie Just Tattoo Suicide Squad Director David Ayer While in Full Costume?

    (8/19/15) (Pic) Harley's Tattoo Parlour is open for business!

    As filming continues for the highly anticipated film Suicide Squad, Margot Robbie appears to be commemorating the experience in a very personal way.

    "Skwad," David Ayer wrote on Twitter Tuesday afternoon alongside a photo of Robbie in full Harley Quinn costume as she seemingly inks an unknown man's left arm.

    While the lucky fellow's identity remains a mystery, we can confirm Jai Courtney recently received a "Skwad" tattoo. Will Smith also tattooed Joel Kinnaman, as seen in photos posted on Instagram. Does this pic on Ayer's account mean that the movie's director is the latest guy to get inked? Hmmm...

    What we can tell you is the upcoming movie is going to be dark. It's so dark that Ayer has hired an on-set "therapist" of sorts to prevent his cast from going too far for their roles.

    "David Ayer is about realism," Adam Beach shared with E! News. "So if your character is tormented, he wants you to torment yourself. He wants the real thing." (So obviously if your character is tattooed...)

    Beach continued, "We kind of have, like, a therapist on board if you fall off the wagon and really are villainous...Us actors explore very fine thin lines going to the dark side and he wants to make sure we finish a movie and don't disappear somewhere and then don't show up for work."

    The highly anticipated action movie tells the story of a secret government agency that recruits imprisoned supervillains to execute dangerous missions in exchange for clemency. Jared Leto, Cara Delevingne, Scott Eastwood and Ben Affleck also star in the film.

    Suicide Squad is scheduled to hit theatres Aug. 5, 2016.

    Syfy Sets Premiere Dates for Childhood's End and The Expanse

    (8/12/15) Syfy will debut both Childhood's Endand The Expanse on Monday, Dec. 14, the network announced on Wednesday.

    A six-hour limited series, adapted from Arthur C. Clarke's novel, Childhood's End will also air on Tuesday and Wednesday, Dec. 15 and Dec. 16 at 8/7c. Mike Vogel, Charles Dance, Yael Stone and Julian McMahon star in the drama which takes place after a peaceful invasion of Earth by aliens who promise to eliminate poverty, war and sickness, but whose intentions aren't quite what they seem.

    The Expanse will follow Childhood's End at 10/9c for a two-night premiere on Dec. 14 and Dec. 15. The following week, it will continue to air on Tuesdays at 10/9c.

    Set 200 years in the future, The Expanse follows a detective (Thomas Jane) and a rogue ship captain (Steven Strait) as they team up to find a missing young woman and unravel the largest conspiracy in human history.

    Margot Robbie Covers Elle, Says People "Seem Outraged" by Her Age

    (7/13/15) Margot Robbie has quite an impressive résumé—it's so impressive, actually, that it's almost hard to believe she's only in her mid-twenties.

    "People seem outraged that I'm 24," the actress, who turned 25 on July 2, tells Elle magazine's August issue. "People think I'm a decade older."

    Tina Fey, who stars alongside Robbie in Fun House, has a theory on why the Australian star might come off as more experienced than her contemporaries. "Like a lot of actors who got their start on soap operas—Julianne Moore, Alec [Baldwin]—Margot makes great, strong choices but then is still very quick and flexible," she tells the mag.

    Robbie isn't so career-focused that she misses out on fun stuff like other gals her age. According to Simon Van Zuylen-Wood, who interviewed Robbie for Elle, she and her longtime BFF/personal assistant Sophia happily rapped along to "a rather filthy Lil Wayne song" without missing a single word.

    The Australian star also tells the mag about Rat Rat, the pet rat given to her Jared Leto's Suicide Squad character. According to Robbie, she kept the rat because, "If Harley [her character in Suicide Squad] got something from Joker [Leto's character], she'd probably cherish it."

    Robbie didn't mind telling Elle about Rat Rat, whose diet reportedly consists of organic berries from Whole Foods. She did not, however, want to discuss her boyfriend Tom Ackerley, who she met on set of Suite Française in 2014 when he was working as an assistant director. "He was a third AD, he's now working as a second AD," she says, "and that's, yeah."

    Fair enough! For Robbie's full interview, pick up the August issue of Elle when it hits stands July 21.

    Margot Robbie Adopted Pet Rat from Suicide Squad

    (7/13/15) In the upcoming action movie Suicide Squad, the Joker (played by Jared Leto) gives something very special to Margot Robbie's character, Harley Quinn: a rat.

    While crew members suggested killing the rodent, the Australian actress had other plans.

    "If Harley got something from Joker, she'd probably cherish it," Robbie tells Elle magazine in the August issue.

    Not only did Robbie save the rat but she's also given her pet – which she named "Rat Rat" – a luxurious new life. Rat Rat dines on organic berries from Whole Foods, Robbie tells Elle, a level of achievement most humans can only aspire to.

    Suicide Squad, which also stars Will Smith, Viola Davis, Cara Delevingne and, making his Hollywood debut, Rat Rat, arrives in theaters on Aug. 28.

    Margot Robbie celebrates birthday with amazing Harley Quinn cake

    (7/4/15) (Pic) The latest "Suicide Squad" set photo comes from none other than Harley Quinn herself, Margot Robbie. The actress celebrated a birthday on Thursday (July 3) and was given her very own customized Harley Quinn birthday cake, which she posed with in costume.

    "Thank you squad," she writes with the photo, which shows a cake made to look like a stack of Harley Quinn comic books. Robbie is decked out in pigtails and a "Daddy's Lil Monster" shirt for the shot, with gun-toting men in military uniforms behind her.

    With production on "Suicide Squad" well underway, it's unclear whether the movie will have a presence at the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con. It's been announced that "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" will be presented though, with the full cast. Perhaps that panel will at least reveal the first footage from the movie.

    "Suicide Squad" is set for theaters on Aug. 5, 2016.

    'Under the Dome's' Mike Vogel: 'Barbie becomes much more of a believer in the supernatural'

    (7/2/15) Zap2it: What does your character Dale "Barbie" Barbara think the dome is?

    Mike Vogel of "Under the Dome": I would not say that I am a massive sci-fi freak but what I love about good sci-fi is that it's real people reacting to completely unbelievable circumstances. ...

    Julia was kind of always the (one) who had a -- I don't want to say a relationship with the dome -- but she understood it as a thing and it interacted with her. For Barbie, it was just about how do we keep these people alive for as long as we possibly can until A) we can get them out of here, or B) get this thing down. And I think last season Barbie saw a lot of things that he could not explain, from going through a portal into his hometown and finding a way back into the dome to get everyone out ... . But I think this year, Barbie becomes much more of a believer in the supernatural that surrounds this whole thing.

    Zap2it: How have fans been when they've spotted you out in public?

    Mike Vogel: The fun thing about shooting in Wilmington (N.C.) is that it's a small town and has a really intimate feel, so everyone knows the things that are shooting in town and what's going on around town. ... Wilmington kind of functions as a little mini-Chester's Mill. Everyone's invested in the show. They are all wanting to know this season what's happening, what is different. "I hope you kill Big Jim this year. I hope ... ." They really get into the relationships, which is exciting for us because it shows that we're getting through the message of what we're trying to put out there. But yeah, it is funny. Wilmington functions as its own little Chester's Mill here.

    Her Outfit Costs What?! Margot Robbie's $3,125 Sheer Airport Style

    (7/2/15) (Pic) Sure, we've seen plenty of stars rock sheer gowns on the red carpet (ahem, Jennifer Lopez and Beyoncé). But sporting sheer for the airport? That's a new one.

    Margot Robbie—whose birthday is today, hurray!—took a swing at the sheer trend, arriving at the Toronto airport earlier this week. The delicate lace dress turned the see-through trend into a perfectly sleek street (or airport) style staple.

    If you're thinking this sheer style looks pricey though, you'd be right. But just how expensive is it? Let's review.

    Margot's breezy black sheath comes courtesy of Zimmermann with a hefty price tag of $575. As for her footwear, flat sandals were an obvious choice, especially when you're towing your own luggage. But at $650 a pair, her Giuseppe Zanotti sandals aren't exactly what the average gal would throw on for a casual day of travel.

    Now, designer bags are notoriously pricy. Meaning that the actress' $1,900 black Fendi tote isn't all that surprising, but still—that's a lot of dough for a purse!

    And the total for this airport style is: $3,125.

    Breaking it down piece-by-piece:

    Zimmermann dress - $575

    Giuseppe Zanotti sandals - $650

    Fendi bag - $1900

    The Lizzie Borden Chronicles Not Returning for Season 2

    (6/24/15) Lifetime is officially giving Lizzie Borden the ax; the Christina Ricci-led drama will not return for a second season, TVLine has confirmed.

    Originally billed as a limited series, The Lizzie Borden Chronicles — which starred Ricci as the real-life historical figure, acquitted of murder in 1892 — ran for eight episodes earlier this year. Chronicles was a spinoff of the Lifetime original movie Lizzie Borden Took an Ax, which centered around the titular character’s murder trial.

    But don’t worry about Ricci finding her next gig; as TVLine exclusively reported earlier this week, she’s starring in the Amazon drama pilot Z, in which she’ll portray celebrated American novelist Zelda Fitzgerald.

    Are you bummed by this news, or did you not expect to see more of Borden’s (mis)adventures?

    Christina Ricci to Play Zelda Fitzgerald in Amazon Drama Pilot Z

    (6/22/15) Amazon and Christina Ricci have come up with a novel idea for a new TV series.

    TVLine has learned exclusively that Ricci is set to star in and exec-produce an Amazon pilot about celebrated American novelist (and wife of F. Scott Fitzgerald) Zelda Fitzgerald.

    The hour-long project’s working title is Z.

    An Amazon rep declined to comment for this story.

    Ricci recently played another iconic American woman — Lizzie Borden — in Lifetime’s eight-episode The Lizzie Borden Chronicles (and the TV movie that preceded it).

    Margot Robbie - Looks Snatched Up, But Is It Promise Ring or Real Thing?

    (6/18/15) (Pic) Margot Robbie is out of the game ... on the bench ... off the market ... NOT ever going to be yours -- 'cause the Aussie hottie and her man are flashing gold bands that reek of marriage ... we think.

    Margot was walking around Toronto -- where she's shooting "Suicide Squad" -- with the gold piece. Thing is ... her beau, aspiring director Tom Ackerley, was sporting similar jewelry last week. Both of them have it on THAT finger.

    Robbie and Ackerley hit the one year mark this month... so, it could be perfect timing for him to pop the question.

    There's still hope fellas -- they could just be promise rings. Plus, what newlywed or newly engaged chick (especially a smoking hot one in Hollywood) doesn't flash her diamond?

    Then again, reality is ... you never had a chance.

    Ashley Greene on Body Image in Hollywood: 'Anyone Who Doesn't Feel Pressure Is a Really Good Liar'

    (6/17/15) (Pic1, Pic2) Hollywood can have unrealistic expectations, and Ashley Greene is happy to ignore them especially when they’re about her appearance.

    “There’s always going to be pressure. Anyone who doesn’t feel pressure is a really good liar. You’re always going to be too skinny or too fat or too muscular, and I’ve gotten every single one of those,” Greene tells Health in the magazine’s July/August issue. “At this point, I care more about what people are saying about my acting ability than what I look like.”

    But the Twilight alum admits being critiqued on her acting skills can still be tough. “You can have an amazing performance and a great role, but the second you don’t get the next one, the feelings of rejection and not being good enough kind of come back to you,” Greene, 28, explains. “Thankfully, I have a good support system. But the struggle is real.”

    In fact, the actress shares her loved ones have really helped her to deal with hearing the word no.

    “I feel lucky to have my family, and friends who will call me on my s—,” she says. “To hear yes all the time is just not healthy…. Every single day, no matter how successful you are, there’s always gonna be failure.”

    And Greene admits she’s learned another important lesson from her family: the value of money.

    “You have to allow yourself to splurge once in a while,” Greene shares (she splurged on a Burberry bag and Marc Jacobs bag when she got her first big paycheck). “It’s hard when you grow up relatively poor. I watched my dad work for everything we had. So being able to buy things you only dreamed of, you have to check yourself. Because if you do that too much, you’re gonna be broke — but with a bunch of really nice bags!”

    One other treat she splurges on? Her weakness for a certain salty snack. “I like Cheez-Its a lot, which goes against everything I stand for,” Greene says. “I like sodium so much, but that’s difficult when you’re on-screen because it makes you retain water.”

    As for starting a family of her own, Greene — who’s been dating boyfriend Paul Khoury — admits she’s not ready just yet.

    “No more than three [kids]. Probably two. I’m the opposite of my mom — she had us really young, and now she and my dad are able to have fun,” she says. “I want to get married, enjoy that, and then when I’m ready to completely give myself to my kids, I will. But I’m a little too selfish still.”

    Winona Ryder & David Harbour To Star In Duffer Bros. Netflix Series

    (6/15/15) Winona Ryder and David Harbour are set as the adult leads in the Netflix untitled eight-episode supernatural period drama series written and directed by young genre filmmakers Matt Duffer and Ross Duffer (Wayward Pines) and executive produced by Shawn Levy. Last Resort co-creator Karl Gajdusek has come on board as executive producer and showrunner of the series, previously known as Montauk.

    Described as a love letter to the ’80s classics that captivated a generation, the series is set in 1980 Montauk, Long Island, where a young boy vanishes into thin air. As friends, family and local police search for answers, they are drawn into an extraordinary mystery involving top-secret government experiments, terrifying supernatural forces and one very strange little girl. In her first major TV series gig, Ryder plays Joyce, the boy’s working-class single mother reeling from her son’s disappearance. In the quest to rescue her son from terrifying forces, she summons a strength she never knew she had. Harbour will play the town’s weary and disheveled chief of police tasked with investigating the disappearance.

    In addition to writing and directing, the Duffer brothers will serve as executive producers alongside Gajdusek and 21 Laps’ Levy and Dan Cohen for Netflix.

    Ryder, repped by Gersh, Anonymous and Hirsh Wallerstein, will next be seen in the HBO miniseries Show Me A Hero. Harbour, repped by ICM Partners, Authentic and Peikoff Mahan, is in post-production on Scott Cooper’s Black Mass and in pre-production on Sleepless Night.

    Ashley Greene Goes 'Rogue' For DirecTV

    (6/10/15) Ashley Greene (The Twilight Saga franchise)has landed a series regular role on the upcoming season of DirecTV’s suspense drama series Rogue starring Cole Hauser and Thandie Newton. Production on the second half of a 20-episode order is underway in Toronto.

    Greene will play Mia Levesque, a beautiful and highly intelligent former NSA contractor who desperately needs Ethan’s (Hauser) help after an attempt is made on her life. She will pull Ethan into the high stakes world of corporate espionage. As Ethan grows closer to her, the body count around her begins to rise, and Ethan will question if he can trust this master manipulator.

    Greene is best known for her role as vampire Alice Cullen in the blockbuster Twilight Saga franchise. She will next be seen in Burying The Ex, which hits theaters on June 19. Upcoming films include In Dubious Battle, Urge, Shangri-La Suite and Staten Island Summer.

    Rogue is produced by Entertainment One (eOne) in association with DirecTV. The series is created by Matthew Parkhill (The Caller) who also serves as executive producer together with John Moraynis for eOne, Nick Hamm of Momentum TV and Michael Rosenberg.

    Margot Robbie - 'Z for Zachariah' trailer

    (6/5/15) Margot Robbie is caught in a terrifying post-apocalyptic love triangle in 'Z for Zachariah' trailer: Video.

    'Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe's' Kelli Garner: Marilyn was 'accessible in her beauty'

    (5/30/15) It isn't easy to play an icon and actress Kelli Garner admits she was nervous to tackle the challenge in the Lifetime miniseries "The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe."

    "I was extremely apprehensive. I wasn't sure I could pull it off," Garner says during an appearance on "The Today Show" Saturday (May 30). "I knew it would, if anything, make me a better actress."

    The role of the blonde bombshell is definitely quite a feat in the miniseries, as Garner has to play Monroe from the ages of 16 to 36.

    While this is certainly not the first time Monroe's life has been tackled on the small screen, "The Secret Life" dives much more into the actress' mental health and relationships with women, especially the complicated one with her mother, Gladys Mortenson played by Susan Sarandon.

    Flaws and all, people are still fascinated with Monroe and her life even more than 50 years since her death. Garner says one of the reasons is because of the actress' timeless beauty.

    "There was something extremely sincere about her. She lights up," Garner says. "She's accessible in her beauty, and I think that's just ever lasting."

    "The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe" is a two-night event starting Saturday, May 30 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Lifetime.

    Margot Robbie -- NERDGASM On 'Suicide Squad' Set!!!

    (5/17/15) (Pic) Margot Robbie became Harley Quinn Saturday ... and both the real and fictional are really hot.

    A photog got this pic of Margot Saturday on the set of "Suicide Squad" in Toronto.

    The "Wolf of Wall Street" star is there with co-stars Jared Leto, who plays The Joker, Scott Eastwood, Will Smith, Cara Delevingne, and Ben Affleck.

    The movie sounds awesome. And she's SOOOO hot.

    Suicide Squad

    (5/3/15) (Pic) Prepare yourselves, DC fans, the Suicide Squad is finally here.

    Director David Ayer shared the first official cast photo of the entire group in character, minus the Joker, who is played by Jared Leto.

    From left to right, the characters pictured are Slipknot (Adam Beach), Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney), Enchantress (Cara Delevingne), Katana (Karen Fukuhara), Rick Flagg (Joel Kinnaman), Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), Deadshot (Will Smith), Killer Croc (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), and El Diablo (Jay Hernandez).

    Earlier in April, Ayer shared a picture of the entire assembled cast (again, minus Leto) but this is the first photo that shows them all in their supervillian costumes.

    The film will also star recent Oscar-winner Common, Viola Davis, Ike Barinholtz and Scott Eastwood. According to The Hollywood Repoerter, there are rumors that the film may also feature cameos from Ben Affleck's Batman and Jesse Eisenberg's Lex Luthor, who will appear in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

    Filming has already begun in Toronto and fans will be able to catch the project when it's released on Aug. 5, 2016.

    'Sirens' ends after Season 2

    (4/22/15) USA Network has opted not to go forward with a third season of paramedic comedy series Sirens, from Fox 21 TV Studios, Denis Leary and Bob Fisher.

    Sirens was the first original half-hour comedy series to launch under USA’s push in the genre following the off-network acquisition of Modern Family. It was soon joined by Playing House and Benched, two of which, Sirens and Benched have now been cancelled. It was a slow build out of the gate in Season 1, but Sirens developed a following from a loyal core audience and even showed ratings growth over its freshman run, despite losing its Suits lead-in halfway through, earning a second season renewal.

    USA reaffirmed its commitment to Sirens in October when the network signaled a retreat from original scripted comedy. The quirky comedy, starring Michael Mosley, Kevin Daniels, Kevin Bigley and Jessica McNamee, has been well received, with Season 2 getting even higher marks from some critics. Ratings-wise, there was no growth, and I hear the fact that the show could’t find a big enough audience beyond its passionate fan base coupled with the fact that it is not owned by USA led to the network’s decision not to go with a third season. Playing House, which also has enjoyed critical praise and a small but devoted following but is owned by USA, was able to clinch a renewal with a new windowing model introduced by the network where new episodes will premiere first on video-on-demand platforms, before airing on the linear USA channel a week later. Season 2 of Playing House debuts in August.

    In addition to Playing House, on the comedy front USA has six-episode Donny!, a semi-scripted comedic series toplined by Donny Deutsch, set to launch in the fourth quarter.

    Katie Holmes Producing Victim Advocate Drama For Cinemax

    (4/21/15) Actress Katie Holmes has teamed with former Sons of Anarchy co-executive producer Mike Daniels for a character-driven action drama, which has been sold to Cinemax. Universal Television, where Daniels is an overall deal, is the studio.

    Based on characters conceived together by both Holmes and Daniels, the untitled show follows a victims’ rights advocate who is attacked by a stalker and then returns to the streets of her crime-ridden past to seek justice. Daniels will write the script and will serve as showrunner. He and Holmes executive produce. There are no current plans for Holmes to star.

    This marks Universal TV’s first project for Cinemax. The studio recently set up a high-profile show at sibling HBO, starring and executive produced by Alec Baldwin.

    Holmes, repped by ICM Partners, Untitled and Sloane Offer, co-stars opposite Ryan Reynolds and Helen Mirren in Woman In Gold and recently made her directorial debut with the short film Eternal Princess at the Tribeca Film Festival. She will next be seen in a season-long recurring role on the third season of the Showtime drama Ray Donovan.

    Daniels, whose series credits also include Pan Am and The Vampire Diaries, is repped by ICM Partners and Jackoway Tyerman.

    Margot Robbie -- PDA ... Public Display of Ass-Grabbin'

    (4/15/15) (Pic) "Wolf of Wall Street" star Margot Robbie's boyfriend has his hands full ... of that ass.

    Looks like Robbie and aspiring director BF Tom Ackerley want everyone to know they're not only in deep, but they're also not afraid to put the PDA on full throttle .. the two went at it Monday on the streets of Toronto.

    No doubt she'll be slipping into something tight for her role as the Joker's squeeze, Harley Quinn, in the upcoming DC Comic bad boy blockbuster, "Suicide Squad" ... which she's up there filming.

    No joke here ... those buns are fine.

    'The Lizzie Borden Chronicles' Christina Ricci: 'We definitely decided that she was sociopathic'

    (4/12/15) Zap2it: How would you characterize the relationship of sisters Lizzie and Emma Borden on Lifetime's "The Lizzie Borden Chronicles"?

    Christina Ricci: I think it's a very need-based relationship. Lizzie sort of views her as her property, and Emma's always taken care of her but it's not, at least from Lizzie's point of view, a loving relationship. She's not really capable of love in a normal way.

    Zap2it: Is Lizzie a fun character to play?

    Christina Ricci: Yeah, really fun. Anything that is fantastic and sort of extreme is really fun to do as an actor, at least for me.

    Zap2it: How did you approach creating her?

    Christina Ricci: Well, I think a lot of the character is based on the action, sort of, [which] implies who she is, really. Somebody who is able to take human life like this and actually derive pleasure from it is going to be a certain type of character (laughs). We definitely decided that she was sociopathic, that she either played at the emotions of a normal functioning person but that she probably didn't have them for herself.

    Zap2it: Was shedding her at the end of the day difficult?

    Christina Ricci: No not really. I mean, this is a very lighthearted kind of piece. I mean, it's just supposed to be fun and sort of gory and fantastic. So I think there were like two emotional scenes in the whole series for my character because she doesn't really experience emotion. So it's not the kind of thing, a kind of heavy role where you go home and you live with it or are affected by it.

    Suicide Squad's First Cast Photo Is Here: See Cara Delevigne, Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Viola Davis & More Assemble!

    (4/9/15) (Pic) Ladies and gentleman, we present to you, the Suicide Squad.

    Fans of the film adaptation of the popular DC comic book were treated to a special surprise this evening when director David Ayer tweeted the first cast photo!

    "Cast read through today! #SuicideSquad," he captioned the snapshot, which featured famous faces like Will Smith (Deadshot), Margot Robbie (Harley Quinn), Jai Courtney (Captain Boomerang), Cara Delevingne (Enchantress), Joel Kinnaman (Rick Flagg), Viola Davis (Amanda Waller), Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (Killer Croc) and newcomers Adam Beach and Ike Barinholtz.

    There was one very familiar face that was noticeably absent from the picture. Where the heck is Jared Leto aka The Joker? It's possible he was the one taking the photo, but why would they do that to us?

    Suicide Squad is based on the DC Comics story of villains who are forced to take on the role of heroes. The initial Suicide Squad casting announcement came out back in early December.

    Charles Roven and Richard Suckle are producing. Zack Snyder and Deborah Snyder are teaming up once again as executive producers on the highly anticipated feature film.

    Production is due to begin this month in Toronto with a tentative release date of Aug. 5, 2016.

    In a statement made shortly after the release of the casting news, Warner Bros. President Greg Silverman said, "We look forward to seeing this terrific ensemble, under David Ayer's amazing guidance, give new meaning to what it means to be a villain and what it means to be a hero."

    'The Lizzie Borden Chronicles': Christina Ricci and Clea DuVall are truly twisted sisters

    (4/5/15) One might not consider the story of 19th century ax murderess Lizzie Borden anything to laugh at, but it's the seriocomic treatment of the subject in the limited series "The Lizzie Borden Chronicles" that drew respected film actresses Christina Ricci and Clea DuVall into the fold.

    The hourlong eight-part series, which premieres Sunday (April 5), on Lifetime, presents a fictionalized look at the events and people surrounding Lizzie's (Ricci) life following her acquittal of the horrific murders of her father and stepmother in 1892. Now famous, Lizzie finds herself living the life of a celebrity, complete with scandalous love affairs. When several people close to her turn up dead in strange and brutal circumstances, suspicion falls on you-know-who.

    The series is a continuation of the 2014 Lifetime telepic "Lizzie Borden Took an Ax."

    "It's a very fun, kind of outrageous show," Ricci tells Zap2it of the new offering, "where you're rooting for two antiheroes the whole time and kind of delighting in the macabre. It's mostly macabre and kind of campy and fun. Above all, it's just supposed to be a really fun show."

    The most fun part in playing an unbalanced character such as Lizzie, according to Ricci, is that anything goes.

    "The only rules," she says, "are kind of the rules you establish for yourself and for the character because it's somebody who doesn't really adhere to the rules of society."

    "I think a lot of the character is based on the action, sort of," Ricci continues, "[which] imply who she is, really. Somebody who is able to take human life like this and actually derive pleasure from it is going to be a certain type of character. We definitely decided that she was sociopathic, that she either played at the emotions of a normal functioning person but that she probably didn't have them for herself."

    One who was on the receiving end of Lizzie's manipulations was sister Emma, whom the actress who portrays her, DuVall, describes as Lizzie's enabler.

    "In the very beginning," DuVall explains, "she really took a back seat to Lizzie and really just served as her caretaker. And as the story evolved, she starts to get her own life and evolve into her own person and really has the opportunity to branch out from just being Lizzie's sister. ... She develops relationships outside of Lizzie, which she never had before, and finally taking the steps toward creating her own life and getting married and cutting the cord."

    "She feels threatened," DuVall says of Lizzie, "and she feels scared because ultimately she is like a little girl who kind of learned to cope in not the best way."

    Margot Robbie Is the Beer-Drinking Teammate You Need for Your Next Game of Flip Cup

    (2/27/15) Margot Robbie Is the Beer-Drinking Teammate You Need for Your Next Game of Flip Cup: Watch Now!

    Smith and Robbie 'Focus' fun is no con job

    (2/27/15) If only there were video of this high-stakes audition.

    Imagine you're Will Smith, looking for your female lead. Everyone in town is auditioning to play the mouthy street kid who falls for his seasoned con man, Nicky, in the dramedy Focus (out Friday). Your dance card is, let's say, packed.

    Then in walks Margot Robbie.

    "No makeup and wet shoes," says Smith, recalling the moment.

    Robbie laughs. "Ripped little shorts and a pajama shirt."

    "Like you didn't want this job at all," says Smith.

    Robbie had been in Croatia when she got the call about the audition the next day. "It was a mad dash to try and get a catamaran to a bus to another bus to an airport to France to New York. By the time I got there they had lost my luggage. So when he says I didn't look like I wanted the job…I actually went into Topshop right before the audition and grabbed a blouse. But that was the best I could do."

    In truth, Robbie is no stranger to squaring off with Hollywood's A-list: in The Wolf of Wall Street she impressively held her own against Leonardo DiCaprio's manic playboy as his gorgeous, take-no-prisoners wife. Next year she'll star as Jane opposite Alexander Skarsgard in Tarzan, and this month she was in New Mexico working on a film starring Tina Fey.

    The key to the Aussie's indomitable confidence?

    "I get really bossy on set, I don't know why," she says with a grin. "Honestly, bad auditions lead to really good work. I hit Leo in the face in my audition for Wolf, like slapped him in the face — and I wasn't meant to, obviously."

    She turns to Smith. "In our audition I called you a (jerk)."

    "That wasn't in the script," says an amused Smith. "That's what got her the role! She walked out, and everybody's going, 'Oh my gosh, she's fantastic! And I'm like, 'Yeah, she called me a (jerk).' "

    To prepare to play con artists, Smith studied up on psychological diversions and Robbie practiced lifting cellphones off unsuspecting production assistants.

    "I chickened out when I had to do the actual lift and the guy turned around and my hand was in his back pocket," says Robbie, mimicking her shame. "And it just looked like I was trying to cop a feel. Every time I walked past him in the hallways he'd put his back to the wall."

    Smith calls out: "That's Margot Robbie, Australian ass-grabber!''

    Margot Robbie Slapped Leonardo DiCaprio During Passionate Audition for The Wolf of Wall Street

    (2/25/15) (Pics) Who gets away with slapping Leonardo DiCaprio?

    Turns out, Margot Robbie did after a passionate and way ad-libbed audition for her part as his wife, Naomi, in 2013's The Wolf of Wall Street, Harper's Bazaar UK reports in its April cover story.

    "In my head I was like, 'You have literally 30 seconds left in this room and if you don't do something impressive nothing will ever come of it. It's a once-in-a-lifetime chance, just take it,' " Robbie shared of her split-second decision to go for it, which landed her the part.

    The first scene together quickly turned out of control, she added, creating the perfect tension for their reckless coupling in the film.

    "And so I start screaming at him [Leo] and he's yelling back at me. And he's really scary. I can barely keep up. And he ends it saying, 'You should be happy to have a husband like me. Now get over here and kiss me,'" Robbie, 24, recalled as she promoted her latest film, Focus, in which she plays the sexy foil to another onscreen con man, this time played by Will Smith.

    "So I walk up really close to his face and then I'm like, 'Maybe I should kiss him. When else am I ever going to get a chance to kiss Leo DiCaprio, ever?' But another part of my brain clicks and I just go, 'Whack!' I hit him in the face. And then I scream, 'F--- you!' And that's not in the script at all. The room just went dead silent and I froze."

    Quickly, the Australian-born actress (and emerging fashion star) reeled from her bold choice, her mind racing with thoughts about possible repercussions.

    "I'm thinking, 'You just hit Leonardo DiCaprio in the face. They're going to arrest you because that's assault,' " Robbie recalled. " 'You're definitely never going to work again, that's for sure. They'll probably sue you as well in case there's a bruise on his face and he needs to film something else.' "

    She needn't have worried: They offered her the part.

    The April issue of Harper's Bazaar UK is out March 5.

    Margot Robbie Debuts Shorter Haircut at the 2015 Oscars, Stuns in Plunging Black Gown & Massive Vintage Necklace

    (2/23/15) (Pic1, Pic2) Ladies and gentleman, Margot Robbie has arrived (we can hear the va-va-voom from here).

    The Australian beauty stepped out on the 2015 Oscars red carpet in a plunging, sheer-sleeve Saint Laurent gown and vintage Van Cleef & Arpels necklace that literally took our breaths away. (Must...inhale...)

    The beaded stunner is fit for a museum, as Ryan Seacrest noted, which led Margot to further explain the massive statement piece: "This necklace right here is worth more than my life, [so I] better not lose it tonight" she quipped. "It was created for the Duchess of Windsor [Wallis Simpson] in the '30s so I'm very lucky to be wearing it."

    Another notable aspect of Margot's red carpet look? Her newly cropped locks! The Focus actress sported a sleek blond long bob, which was angled just above her shoulders (really, this haircut is unstoppable). And it's perfection in bob form if we do say ourselves.

    And in case you needed an upclose of that, er, bling.

    No further comment necessary.

    Margot Robbie Auditioned for Focus After Not Sleeping for Two Days

    (2/10/15) Margot Robbie: National treasure? Discuss.

    Exhibit A is probably the following anecdote Robbie, 24, told during a press conference in L.A. on Sunday for the upcoming Focus, in which she shares the screen with Will Smith.

    Robbie had apparently been on vacation in Croatia (according to Smith) when she got the news she'd be auditioning for the role in Focus, and had to head to New York for the audition in somewhat ... trying circumstances.

    "It was 6 in the morning," Robbie told reporters. "I'd been swimming, and I got the call saying, 'Oh, yeah. You need to be doing an audition with Will Smith like tomorrow in New York. So your flight's booked for tonight.' "

    "And I was like, 'Tonight? Oh, my God.' I asked the lady at the hostel I was staying at, 'Oh, how do I get off this island? I need to go to the mainland.' And she was like, 'Oh, there's only one boat a day, and it leaves in 20 minutes.' And I was like, 'Oh, my God.' "

    "[I] grabbed all my stuff. Left half of it probably in the hostel ... got to the airport. Waited eight hours, and then I went to France, and then I went to New York. And by the time I got to New York, I'd now not slept for, like, well over two days."

    "And they lost my luggage. And my audition was about seven hours away. So I walk into the audition in wet sneakers and denim shorts and a pajama shirt, which was the only dry thing I had before they lost my luggage. I just walked in. And I was like, 'I cannot meet Will Smith in my pajama shirt.' So I went to Topshop and grabbed this top and then walked in."

    Of course, wet, no-sleep Margot Robbie is still, you know, Margot Robbie, so obviously she got the part. But still, what a story. Focus hits theaters Feb. 27.

    Why Margot Robbie Doesn't Want to Date Any Actors

    (2/7/15) (Pic1, Pic2, Pic3) Margot Robbie's interview could end up haunting her!

    The Focus actress covers Marie Claire's March issue, and in the accompanying profile, she makes a bold statement about dating fellow actors. "I am officially off the market," proclaims Robbie, who last dated assistant director Tom Ackerley. "I made a conscious decision not to date actors, but not because I hate actors. That's a nasty generalization to make, and that's not the case. People take such an interest in your love life when you have a profile that it puts a lot of stress on a relationship. So, two people with profiles, I figure it's just double the amount of scrutiny, and I'd like to avoid that at all costs."

    In January, however, she was seen kissing Alexander Skarsgard at the Sundance Film Festival.

    Neither Robbie nor Skarsgård have commented on the club hookup via their reps. And while the blond and beautiful actors may have packed on the PDA, that doesn't necessarily mean that they're a couple.

    YOLO!

    Robbie, it seems, is still getting used to life in the limelight.

    "I have a normal 24-year-old life," says Robbie, who co-stars with Skarsgård in Warner Bros.' Tarzan. "If I were a waitress, I'd probably have the exact same lifestyle," she continues. "I'd go to the same clubs I go to already, live in the same house with the same housemates, hang out with the same people."

    The Australian actress nearly stole the show in 2013's The Wolf of Wall Street, but to her credit, Robbi hasn't let fame get to her head. Growing up, she says, "It was weird because a lot of my friends were very wealthy. It was interesting to see what you can have in life and know what it was like not to have it. It makes you very ambitious. It seemed horrible at the time, but I'm grateful I had it that way, because I knew what I wanted to achieve." She's since joined high-profile projects like Warner Bros.' Suicide Squad, but she remains wary of how Hollywood works. "I'm so overly optimistic to a fault, but this job has made me start questioning people's motives…I have never been a cynical person. I'd rather trust nine people and have the tenth one stab me in the back. I'd take that fall in order to have those nine friendships or working relationships instead of having none," she tells the magazine. "That's not living."

    The March issue of Marie Claire is on newsstands Feb. 17.

    Image Acquires Joe Dante's 'Burying The Ex;' 'Twilight's Ashley Greene Goes Zombie

    (2/3/15) Image Entertainment has acquired the Joe Dante horror comedy Burying The Ex and will give it a multiplatform release of theaters and VOD in the summer. Alan Trezza-scripted pic stars Anton Yelchin, Ashley Greene, and Alexandra Daddario. Pic premiered at Venice. Yelchin plays a nice guy with an overbearing girlfriend (Greene). She gets worse when they move in, and he’s relieved when she dies in an accident and he meets someone nicer (Daddario). Trouble is, his dead ex returns as a zombie who doesn’t want to give him up and she was a lot more charming as a Twilight Saga vampire.

    Oscars: Margot Robbie & Miles Teller To Host Sci-Tech Awards

    (1/28/15) Margot Robbie (The Wolf Of Wall Street) and Miles Teller (Whiplash) have been tapped as hosts of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Scientific and Technical Awards on Saturday, February 7, at the Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills. They will present 21 awards to 58 individual recipients during the evening.

    “We’re very excited to have Margot and Miles hosting this year’s Sci-Tech Awards,” said Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs. “Both are fresh voices in our industry and will be a welcome addition to the night where we honor our colleagues’ technical achievements.”

    “Margot and Miles represent some of the best of the next generation of rising stars and it is only fitting that they host an evening saluting the film innovations and innovators who will inform the future,” said Oscar producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron.

    Robbie’s breakout performance came in 2013’s Oscar-nominated feature The Wolf of Wall Street. Her recent credits include starring roles in Z For Zachariah and Focus, which is due out next month. In the summer of 2016, Robbie will be seen starring in Tarzan and the highly anticipated Suicide Squad.

    Teller stars in Best Picture nominee Whiplash. Later this year, he will appear in the feature Bleed for This, as well as The Fantastic Four and Divergent sequel Insurgent. Teller also appeared in 2013’s The Spectacular Now.

    Portions of the Scientific and Technical Awards Presentation will be included in the Oscar telecast.

    The 87th Oscars will air live on Sunday, February 22 on ABC.

    Michael Mosley on Sirens and Why He's Happy He 'Finally' Got a Second Season of Something: 'I Thought I Had the Stink on Me'

    (1/28/15) (people.com) Sirens returned for a second season on Tuesday, and star Michael Mosley sure hopes you watched!

    In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, Mosley, 36, confided that he was worried he had "the stink" on him following leading roles on such short-lived series as Kidnapped, Kings, Pan Am, Last Resort and the Scrubs pseudo-spinoff.

    The series, loosely based on the British series of the same name, follows a group of Chicago EMTs. Adapted by Denis Leary and screenwriter Bob Fisher, Sirens is the workplace comedy you might not be watching but absolutely should be. The comedy is as accessible as it is smart, and, as Bustle points out, it even passes the Bechdel test – ladies need not worry that the typically male setting leaves them out.

    Mosley stars as Johnny, the de facto leader of his fellow EMTs Hank (Kevin Daniels), Brian (Kevin Bigley) and Cash (Bill Nunn). Having almost married his cop girlfriend Theresa (Jessica McNamee) in the first season finale, the second season sees the couple moving in with each other … with mixed results.

    We spoke to Mosley the day after it was announced that Benched – a USA comedy starring his former co-star, Eliza Coupe – had been canceled. It's tough to be a USA comedy these days: The critically acclaimed Playing House was on the bubble for months before picking up a second season renewal, and yet the universal appeal of Sirens earned itself a second season renewal just one month after the first season finale aired in May.

    We talked to Mosley about Sirens, how it's been able to achieve success, and why he's happy he's not a show-killer. Plus, he confirms everything you knew about Denis Leary: He "gives zero f---s."

    To what do you think you can owe the success of Sirens, given the current climate for USA comedies?

    That really sucks, about Benched. That was bad. I don't know why we're getting lucky. Who knows why any of these things work or don't work? I think it just comes down to a little bit of luck and enough people showing up to the party. Sirens had good numbers in its first season, and there seems to be a lot of support from the ground. People who are fans are kind of rabid. So, that really helped us a lot.

    I know that we had a blast making it. We have fun making the show and we just laugh all day, and once in a while they call "action" and they call "cut" and we just try to crack each other up, and I hope that's coming off, you know?

    Such a bummer about Benched!

    It was really great. But it's just baseball, you know? You just get a helmet and you keep going. I've been on a bunch of shows that got canceled. This is the first time I've seen a season 2 of something – I thought I had the stink on me! [Laughs] It felt like … "Oh God, they're going to think I'm season 1 Mosley, over here." When I finally got a second season of something, I felt like I totally spiked the football. I just hope people watch the second season now!

    I actually loved the Scrubs spinoff …

    It was kinda half the old show, half of a new show. I don't think they even wanted to put it on without the old guard, I don't know. It was fun, though. That was kind of when I realized how much I like doing comedy. I kind of saw myself – or maybe my agents or handlers did, or whatever – as a serious actor, but when I got on Scrubs I realized how much fun it is to make a living laughing.

    The thing about shows like that, you do about six episodes in, the numbers start coming out, and if the network's not happy with what it is, they'll start futzing with stuff and changing sets, characters, plot lines and everything. On Sirens, we were allowed to do the whole season kind of unencumbered. They came to see us once in Chicago. By the last episode of last season, we really understood what the show was. That's kind of rare, to be allowed to find out what the show is, as opposed to it getting tinkered with while we're shooting and seeing numbers and all that crap. We never had to worry about that stuff. We really got to fly free, and this season, I'm really excited for people to see because I think it's stronger. We're a self-actualized show.

    Speaking of the upcoming season, Johnny's relationship with Theresa is ramping up. What's their relationship going to be like in the season ahead?

    Well, they move in together, and sometimes when people move in together, things need a little spicing up. All of a sudden, you see somebody in their pajamas all day and with their hair all messed up, and it's not as exciting watching somebody brush their teeth and scratch their ass. So, they'll learn to spice things up and have a little fun.

    I love Johnny's relationship with Hank – they're basically married themselves. What's coming up for them this season?

    He is a big supporter of Theresa and Johnny being together. Hank ends up dating this dude in Theresa and Johnny's building, and he ends up dating this super annoying hipster. A craft beer-drinking, fedora-wearing, alternative, trendy kinda kid with an ironic mustache. He drives Johnny insane. He cannot wrap his head around why Hank would be with this guy who is like, hatching chicken eggs in his backyard.

    You guys are getting a lot of comparisons to Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Do you think those are apt? Or is it just a tendency to compare?

    Whatever gets people watching! I don't remember it was who wrote something like this, but after 9/11, there was a huge fear of putting first responders and rescue workers in any kind of ironic or fallible light. What's fun about Brooklyn Nine-Nine and what's fun about Sirens is that it's fun to see these folks be screwballs and messing up. I think it's kind of a release, and it's fun to see these people be themselves.

    What's it like to work with Denis Leary? I'm assuming lots of profanity.

    He hasn't been around as much this season, since he's working on his new show, Sex&Rock&Rock&Roll, but last season, he was there the entire time. He would be crouched down in the back of the ambulance with a monitor, smoking a cigarette while we were shooting a scene.

    In the season one finale, we shot in a church. It's a real church, and he's pulling out a cigarette, and I'm watching him, talking with the guys, and I'm like, "Denis is about to light a cigarette in this church right now." I'm watching him and he's not even thinking about it, and sure enough, he lights a cigarette in a f------ church and I'm like, "Oh my God. This guy gives zero f---s." He's amazing, hysterical.

    The show is now available on Netflix – why should people watch if they see it in their recommendations?

    It's not deep, you know? It's just fun. I just think that you'll like Johnny and Hank and Theresa and everyone. I just think that you'll like these people.

    Sirens airs on Tuesdays (10 p.m. ET) on USA.

    Michael Mosley on Castle

    (1/26/15) “Resurrection” – When clues in a murder implicate Castle and Beckett’s nemesis, Dr. Kelly Nieman (guest star Annie Wersching), Castle is called in to consult on the case. But as the team delves deeper into the investigation, they uncover connections to notorious serial killer Jerry Tyson (guest star Michael Mosley), on Part 1 of “Castle,” MONDAY, FEBRUARY 9 (10:01-11:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

    “Castle” stars Nathan Fillion as Richard Castle, Stana Katic as NYPD Detective Kate Beckett, Susan Sullivan as Martha Rodgers, Molly Quinn as Alexis Castle, Penny Johnson Jerald as NYPD Captain Victoria Gates, Tamala Jones as Medical Examiner Lanie Parish, Jon Huertas as NYPD Detective Javier Esposito, and Seamus Dever as NYPD Detective Kevin Ryan.

    Guest Cast: Annie Wersching as Dr. Kelly Nieman, Michael Mosley as Jerry Tyson, Laura Coover as Susan Watts, Amy Rosoff as Katrina and Maya Goodwin as Laura.

    “Resurrection” was written by David Amann and directed by Bill Roe.

    Is Romance Blooming Between Alexander Skarsgard and Margot Robbie?

    (1/25/15) (Pic) Tarzan and Jane forever!

    Alexander Skarsgard and Margot Robbie have been hitting up the party scene at the Sundance Film Festival.

    The stars of the upcoming Tarzan movie got things started at the Sabra Hummus Kick-Off Party on Friday. Skarsgard, 38, met up with the actress, 24, who was "holding court with an entourage" that included Chris Pine and Chiwetel Ejiofor.

    "They came separately but left together in a big group," says a source. "Alex told the girl at the door he was coming to see his 'friend.' They asked who his friend was and he said Margot Robbie ... he came to see her."

    The pair then moved on to the 1OAK pop-up a little after 11:30 p.m.

    "They arrived together and sat together," says a source who was at the Tinder and VO|CO sponsored event. "And the couches there are not big at all."

    Skarsgard and Robbie later party-hopped to Tao.

    The pair were also planning to attend the Freixenet hosted Art of Elysium Party together Saturday evening, but Robbie was a last-minute no show.

    The True Blood hunk instead roamed the bash with Bel Powley, his costar from the upcoming movie The Diary of a Teenage Girl.

    Studios Betting Big On Margot Robbie Sports Wagering Tale 'Dangerous Odds'

    (1/23/15) The hot package on the auction block has Margot Robbie poised to play Marisa Lankester, a young beautiful woman who became an insider atop the largest illegal sports betting organization in the U.S., and eventually a victim of a dangerous world of corruption. Lankester’s story, which almost sounds like a version of Robbie’s breakout rags to riches to rags saga The Wolf Of Wall Street, will be scripted by World Trade Center and Straight Outta Compton scribe Andrea Berloff, based on Lankester’s memoir Dangerous Odds. I’m told that several studios have chips on the table for this sports betting tale. Reps for Robbie and Berloff–Management 360 and CAA– and the producing shingle Film 360 are running an auction that began yesterday for Robbie to play Lankester, a thrill-seeking beauty who became an insider of the sports betting empire run by Ron “The Cigar” Sacco. She fell in love with his business partner, and moved the business with him from L.A. to Vegas and then the Dominican Republic, where gambling is legal. While she became a top model as well as a gambling mogul there, her existence devolved into a nightmare of incarceration and rape, before she finally escaped. She now lives in Switzerland. This one should play out quickly. Hot on the trail is Warner Bros–she’ll star in Suicide Squad for them–though I’m told that others are vying as well. I will keep you posted.

    Castle Baddie Returns

    (1/13/15) Nine apparent lives and all, the cat is (sigh) out of the bag.

    As part of Castle’s annual-ish February sweeps two-parter, the ABC series — in addition to returning guest star Annie Wersching (24) as 3XK groupie Dr. Kelly Nieman — is bringing back Michael Mosley as Jerry Tyson himself, EW.com reports.

    A serial killer, Tyson first appeared in the Season 3 episode “3XK,” and then seemingly bid this mortal coil adieu in Season 5’s “Probable Cause,” when the psycho plunged off a bridge after Rick shot him several times. The villain’s improbable return was hinted at last season, when a pair of eventual murder victims cosmetically altered to look like Espo and Lanie stole all 3XK files from the 12th’s records room.

    Christina Ricci Is All Smiles at Post-Baby Appearance at Lizzie Borden Chronicles TCA Event

    (1/10/15) (Pic1, Pic2, Pic3) Christina Ricci has returned to work after giving birth to her first child five months ago and seemed to be in great spirits as she made her first major public post-pregnancy appearance.

    On Friday, at a Television Critics Association 2015 Winter Press Tour event promoting the Lifetime Television series The Lizzie Borden Chronicles, the actress showcased a big smile and a chic look, a black outfit with white floral designs down the sleeves. Ricci reprises her role as a 19th century former murder suspect, which she played in a 2014 TV movie.

    The 34-year-old The Addams Family movies alum has largely stayed out of the public eye since the weeks before she and husband James Heerdegen, 32, welcomed a baby boy, their first child together, in August. She has since then, however, occasionally posted hilarious tweets.

    Her hubby, a dolly grip who recently worked on the 2014 film Birdman, met on the set of the ABC show Pan Am. She played a flight attendant on the '60s-themed drama series, which aired for one season and ended in 2012. A year later, she and Heerdegen tied the knot in New York.

    The Lizzie Borden Chronicles series was filmed this past October. Ricci first played Borden, a wealthy Massachusetts woman who was acquitted of the murders of her father and stepmother, in the TV movie Lizzie Borden Took An Ax, which aired on Lifetime in January 2014 and is based on a true story. The new, eight-part series premieres in April and is not as historically accurate. Clea DuVall also reprises her role as Borden's sister, Emma.

    The miniseries focuses on her life after the trial, during which several people close to her, including her half-brother William, played by Hatfields & McCoys' Andrew Howard, and her business associate and underworld kingpin Mr. Flowers, played by Breaking Bad and new prequel Better Call Saul's Jonathan Banks, are found dead, mysteriously, Lifetime said in a statement.

    Lizzie Borden's Christina Ricci Talks 'Satisfying,' Expanded Round 2

    (1/9/15) Some things just go well together. Lifetime and famous murderers? That’s a winning combination.

    Following the success of last year’s TV movie Lizzie Borden Took an Ax, the cable network will debut its limited series The Lizzie Borden Chronicles in April — now with two additional episodes, the network announced Friday at the Television Critics Association winter press tour in Pasadena.

    Christina Ricci once again will star as Borden, the real-life woman who was tried (and acquitted) in 1892 of murdering her father and stepmother.

    “It’s a fictionalized version of what happens after the trial, as she continues to misbehave,” Ricci said of the eight-hour series. “This is an imagining of what could have happened.”

    So, how did Ricci prepare to inhabit such a dark role once more? Easy: It was fun.

    “I never expected to play her again, but she’s really fun in this interpretation,” Ricci said. “This version of her is actually a lot more satisfying. She has a sense of self-awareness. But at the same time, we do deal with the complexities and emotions behind what created this monster.”

    Will viewers find themselves rooting for Borden, much like Dexter and Breaking Bad viewers cheered for those antiheroes? Maybe, says director Stephen Kay.

    “There’s an element where you don’t understand why you’re rooting for her, but you are,” Kay said. “But in the same breath, you’re going, ‘Someone freaking stop her.””

    'The Lizzie Borden Chronicles' Gets Order For 2 More Episodes From Lifetime

    (1/9/15) Lifetime has ordered two additional episodes of its new limited series The Lizzie Borden Chronicles. The follow-up to Lifetime’s original movie Lizzie Borden Took An Ax stars Christina Ricci in a reprisal of her role as the notorious murderer. Clea DuVall also reprises her role as Lizzie’s sister, Emma, in the eight-part series, which premieres in April.

    The Lizzie Borden Chronicles is produced by Sony Pictures Television and executive produced by Judith Verno (Lizzie Borden Took An Ax) and Ricci. Lizzie Borden Took An Ax averaged 4.4 million Total Viewers in its January 25 world premiere.

    BAFTA Rising Star Nominees Include Margot Robbie, Miles Teller, Shailene Woodley

    (1/7/15) BAFTA has announced this year’s crop of nominees for its EE Rising Star Award, with a handful of names in the mix whom many would consider already pretty firmly established. The group consists of Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Jack O’Connell, Margot Robbie, Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley. That there are three women in the mix is an evolution from last year’s two — a few years ago the org was criticized for selecting an entirely male roster. This is the only BAFTA award that is voted on by the British public; it honors actors and actresses “who have demonstrated exceptional talent, and are destined to be bright stars in the future of cinema.”

    Mbatha-Raw recently won the British Independent Film Award as Best Actress in Belle. Her other feature credits have included Larry Crowne, Odd Thomas and Beyond The Lights, as well as TV appearances in Spooks and Dr Who. Her upcoming films include The Whole Truth and Jupiter Ascending.

    O’Connell broke out in TV’s Skins and 2013’s feature Starred Up, as well as last year’s war drama ’71. He’s currently starring in Angelina Jolie’s Unbroken. He recently won the Best Breakthrough Performer prize from the National Board of Review and is nominated as Best British Actor by the London Critics’ Circle. O’Connell’s next role is in Tulip Fever alongside Christoph Waltz and Holliday Grainger.

    Robbie, previously of TV’s Neighbours and Pan-Am, had a breakout feature role in 2013’s The Wolf Of Wall Street. She next stars opposite Will Smith in Focus.

    Teller’s feature credits have included Rabbit Hole, Footloose, Project X, 21 & Over, The Spectacular Now, That Awkward Moment and Divergent. Most notably, he starred in last year’s Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner Whiplash. He’ll next play Mr Fantastic in The Fantastic Four.

    Woodley starred in the biggest sleeper hit of the summer with The Fault In Our Stars. Last year, she led Divergent and reprises that role in this year’s Insurgent. Her breakout was way back in 2011 with The Descendants for which she won the Supporting Actress Indie Spirit and National Board of Review prizes. In 2016, she’ll star in Oliver Stone’s Edward Snowden movie with Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

    The Rising Star winner will be announced at the BAFTA Film Awards on February 8 in London. Voting is now open to the public at ee.co.uk/BAFTA.

    'Focus' Trailer: Will Smith, Margot Robbie & The Big Con

    (12/22/14) 'Focus' Trailer: Will Smith, Margot Robbie & The Big Con

    Google's Year In Hollywood Search

    (12/16/14) Trending Actresses

    1. Jennifer Lawrence

    2. Renee Zellweger

    3. Betty White

    4. Ellen Page

    5. Kim Novak

    6. Margot Robbie

    7. Jacqueline Bisset

    8. Lena Dunham

    9. Melanie Griffith

    10. Lea Thompson

    Shailene Woodley tops all-women 2014 IMDb star list

    (12/8/14) Shailene Woodley has dethroned Jennifer Lawrence atop IMDb's annual Top 10 Stars list, which for the first time is composed solely of women.

    The ranking is a highlight of the Internet Movie Database's Best of 2014 section launching Tuesday, featuring lists based on searches by the site's 200 million unique monthly visitors.

    Woodley ranked No. 64 on 2013's full Top 100 Stars list and shot to the top this year after appearing in Divergent and The Fault in Our Stars, two hits aimed at Internet-savvy audiences.

    "This was Shailene Woodley's breakout year," says IMDb managing editor Keith Simanton. "She has a huge amount of onscreen charisma. And this was the year the world just got her."

    Simanton was also impressed by the first female sweep of the Top 10, which has been compiled for a decade. Last year, seven men made the list, led by Leonardo DiCaprio at No. 3. This year he was again the highest ranked male, but at No. 11.

    "Normally, it's fairly well distributed says Simanton. "But there were a lot of strong roles for women this year."

    Among the other lists to be revealed Tuesday is the Top 10 Breakout Stars, which features actors entering the annual Top 100 for the first time. No. 1 on the Breakout list is Margot Robbie (The Wolf of Wall Street), who is also No. 3 in the Top 10. After her Wolf performance as DiCaprio's eye-catching wife, "Everyone came on the site to say, 'Who the heck is that?' '' says Simanton.

    The Australian actress has also landed a high-profile role for 2016, as Jane in Tarzan.

    Other highlights from the lists:

    Lawrence (The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, 2013's American Hustle) makes her fourth appearance on the Top 10 list, dropping a spot to No. 2.

    Emilia Clarke (Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones) grabs the fourth Top 10 spot, moving up one slot from 2013. She'll portray Sarah Connor in 2015's Terminator Genysis.

    Transformers: Age of Extinction star Nicola Peltz debuts in the Top 10 Stars list at No. 6 and in the Breakout list at No. 2.

    Rosamund Pike might be a former Bond girl, but it took a starring role in Gone Girl to propel her to No. 8 on the Top 10 Stars (No. 3 on the Breakout list).

    The men made a stronger showing in the Breakout list with Guardians of the Galaxy's Chris Pratt (No. 4), Divergent's Theo James (No. 6), Dallas Buyers Club Oscar-winner Jared Leto (No. 7) and Fifty Shades of Greystar Jamie Dornan (No. 10).

    IMDb's Top 10 Stars of 2014*

    1. Shailene Woodley (Divergent, The Fault in Our Stars)

    2. Jennifer Lawrence (The Hunger Games: Mockingjay)

    3. Margot Robbie (The Wolf of Wall Street)

    4. Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones)

    5. Scarlett Johansson (Lucy, Captain America: The Winter Soldier)

    6. Nicola Peltz (Transformers: Age of Extinction)

    7. Chloë Grace Moretz (If I Stay, The Equalizer)

    8. Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl)

    9. Emma Stone (Birdman, The Amazing Spider-Man 2)

    10. Eva Green (300: Rise of an Empire)

    *List determined by total page views in 2014.

    Top 10 Breakout Stars*

    1. Margot Robbie

    2. Nicola Peltz

    3. Rosamund Pike

    4. Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy, The Lego Movie)

    5. Naomi Grossman (American Horror Story)

    6. Theo James (Divergent)

    7. Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club)

    8. Taryn Manning (Orange is the New Black)

    9. Taylor Schilling (Orange is the New Black)

    10. Jamie Dornan (2015's Fifty Shades of Grey)

    *Stars who appeared on the Top 100 chart for the first time in 2014.

    Will Smith, Tom Hardy, Jared Leto Commit To 'Suicide Squad' Lineup

    (12/2/14) Warner Bros has firmed Will Smith, Tom Hardy and Margot Robbie for its DC Comics villain team Suicide Squad, and has set Jared Leto to play The Joker, Jai Courtney to play Boomerang and Cara Delevingne to play Enchantress in the David Ayer-directed film. Smith plays Deadshot, Hardy Rick Flagg and Robbie Harley Quinn. Most of these were reported on. Not in the studio announcement is whether Jesse Eisenberg brings his Batman V Superman villain Lex Luthor to the DC cavalcade, as I’ve heard will happen.

    Ayer, coming off Fury, is scripting and the studio set an August 5, 2016 release. Charles Roven is producing with Richard Suckle and Zack Snyder, Deborah Snyder, Colin Wilson and Geoff Johns are exec producers. Pic is a Dirty Dozen-type mission movie where a group of supervillains are brought together to tackle high-risk black ops missions for the government.

    It’s Smith’s second superhero turn, if you count Hancock. It’s also his second pic with The Wolf Of Wall Street star Robbie, with whom he stars in the grifter tale Focus.

    Margot Robbie Take the Plunge for Underwater W Magazine Cover Shoot

    (11/22/14) (Margot Robbie Cover) Jake Gyllenhaal and Margot Robbie are testing new waters—literally!

    The beautiful Australian actress graces the cover of W's December/January issue, while the handsome Nigthcrawler actor covers the December 2014 Art issue—and both photo shoots were done under water! Photographer and video artist Bill Viola, who is known for using water in his work, snapped both stars submerged in a tank in his Long Beach, Calif., studio.

    Robbie revealed in her interview that she prepared ahead of time for the wet photo op.

    "I've been practicing in my bathtub," the 24-year-old admitted. "I'm so excited. I've been holding my breath to see how long I can go without turning blue."

    The Wolf of Wall Street actress, who stars opposite Will Smith in next year's Focus, divulged that her main goal for the shoot was "to project serenity. I am pretending that I'm lying at the bottom of a stream in a peaceful state," she said.

    She certainly succeeded! The blond beauty is effortlessly stunning as she calmly floats in an embellished Donna Karan New York dress.

    A self-professed "water baby," the Z for Zachariah star also shared how much she loved swimming in her family's pool growing up on the Gold Coast. "My mom could not get me out—she'd put my dinner plate at the end of the pool, and I'd eat my meals in the water."

    Meanwhile, Gyllenhaal's experience with the underwater photo shoot was the complete opposite of serene and peaceful!

    "I didn't expect the sensations—the water would go up my nose and out my eyes, which made it difficult to keep my eyes open," the 33-year-old Nailed actor confessed.

    "There's a panic that sets in, because you're running out of breath," he continued. "And even though you can hear [people] talking, telling you to move your arm or open your eyes, mostly you're in your own head. You feel very alone."

    Despite his not-so-wild time in the water, the Prisoners star is still sexy soaking wet in his all-black Boss ensemble!

    Ashley Greene Fire -- No Crack Pipe Or Arson Evidence

    (11/2/14) Cross crack pipe off the list of possible reasons Ashley Greene's apartment went up in flames -- according to Sheriff's investigators who sifted through the burned out pad right after the fire.

    TMZ broke the story ... Ashley's building manager says a cleanup crew claimed to have found a glass crack pipe in Greene's unit. But we got hold of a report filed by the Sheriff's Arson/Explosives Unit ... and there's no mention of a crack pipe.

    That could mean there was NO pipe, but it could also be that investigators just missed it. According to the docs ... there was also no sign of arson.

    As we first told you ... a preliminary report said a candle ignited a sofa -- and indeed, the Sheriff's doc says investigators could NOT rule out an accidental cause.

    Pan Am Alum to Play Marilyn Monroe in Lifetime Miniseries

    (10/27/14) Apologies to all you lovely ladies out there, but Lifetime has found its Marilyn!

    Pan Am actress Kelli Garner will play the iconic role in the network's four-hour Marilyn miniseries, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

    Based on J. Randy Taraborrelli's book, The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe, the miniseries will explores Monroe's family life, which was far less glamorousthan the one she presented to the outside world.

    As previously reported, Susan Sarandon will play Monroe's mentally ill mother Gladys in a script written by The Kennedys' Stephen Kronish.

    Garner, who most recently appeared on HBO's Looking, joins a long list of actresses who have portrayed Monroe. Most recently Michelle Williams earned an Oscar nomination for her performance in the 2011 film My Week with Marilyn.

    Marilyn premieres in 2015 on Lifetime.

    Lifetime Orders 'Lizzie Borden' Limited Series Starring Christina Ricci

    (10/22/14) Following the success of its original movie Lizzie Borden Took An Ax, Lifetime had picked up a follow-up six-episode limited series, Lizzie Borden: The Fall River Chronicles, with Christina Ricci set to reprise her role as the notorious murderer. Also returning for the series is the movie’s Clea DuVall, who will also reprise her role as Lizzie Borden’s sister, Emma. The series, from Sony Pictures TV, which produced the movie, will debut in 2015.

    Lifetime has turned successful movies into series before. It did it with The Client List, also from Sony TV, which became a regular series with the movie’s star Jennifer Love Hewitt and Cybill Shepherd reprising their roles. It ran for two seasons. Lifetime also has done two-hour movies/backdoor pilots, most recently Nicholas Sparks’ Deliverance Creek, whose series future is yet to be determined.

    Lifetime is going through an overhaul of its scripted schedule with Devious Maids as the only existing series guaranteed to return next year. Witches Of East End is still in limbo, while freshman The Lottery was just cancelled. In addition to Lizzie Borden, Lifetime will introduce two new dramas in 2015, UnREAL and the straight-to-series Omen sequel Damien, and has pilot Clan Of The Cave Bear.

    Lizzie Borden: The Fall River Chronicles will feature a fictionalized account of actual events and people surrounding Lizzie’s life after her controversial acquittal of the horrific double murder of her father and stepmother in 1892, when the exonerated figure lives a life awash in newfound celebrity. But when numerous people close to Lizzie – ranging from her half-brother to Broadway luminaries and the head of the criminal underworld — start to die mysteriously under brutal and strange circumstances, legendary Pinkerton detective Charlie Siringo (Cole Hauser) becomes determined to prove her involvement in their demise. John Heard will portray William Almy, the business partner of Lizzie’s murdered father Andrew, while Lizzie’s half-brother William will be played by Andrew Howard (Hatfields & McCoys).

    “For more than a century, the world has been captivated by the legend of Lizzie Borden, but no one has captured her enigmatic menace as well as Christina Ricci,” said Lifetime’s Rob Sharenow. “This series will take viewers further down Lizzie Borden’s dark path, revealing what many people suspected about her mysterious life.”

    Lizzie Borden: The Fall River Chronicles is executive produced by the film’s exec producer Judith Verno and Ricci. The limited series will be written by Greg Small & Rich Blaney (Jodi Arias: Dirty Little Secret), Barbara Nance (House Of Lies), Jason Grote (Mad Men) and David Simkins (Grimm). Stephen Kay (Sons Of Anarchy) will direct the first two episodes.

    Lizzie Borden Took An Ax premiered in January with 4.4 million total viewers and triggered strong social media response. In 2014 YTD, it is ad-supported cable’s second-most-watched movie telecast among women, behind the Lifetime Original Movie Flowers In The Attic, which Lifetime also built into franchise with several movie sequels.

    Ashley Greene Stuns on Women's Health Cover, Reveals Her Guilty Pleasures and How She Maintains That Hot Bod

    (10/17/14) (Cover) News flash: Ashley Greene is gorgeous.

    Wearing a form-fitting, blue cut-out mini dress, the beautiful actress flashes her killer smile as she crouches down on the cover of the November issue for Women's Health next to the words "Next Level Sexy," and yes, we'd say that's pretty appropriate.

    It's no secret that the 27-year-old's body is on point, and she credits her great physique to maintaining a healthy lifestyle by staying active and watching what she eats.

    "I grew up in Jacksonville, Fla., on the beach we always had water around us. I actually grew up the first 14 years of my life in Middleburg, Fla., and we grew up on dirt roads and my dad built our house," Greene told the mag. "My neighbor had horses. I got to have a little bit of that lifestyle and enjoy nature. We went outside to entertain ourselves and play. I was selling mud pies and playing football with my brother."

    She continued, "My brother is a year and a half older, so I was a tomboy as a result of us being so close. It's transferred over to my adult life. I think being athletic as a child and always being competitive in sports and martial arts definitely transferred over to my adult life. Now for me it really is this kind of lifestyle choice. I feel like I really need to be outside. I need to have nature. We go up to Big Bear all the time because it's such a different world than it is being in the midst of everything."

    As for her diet, the Twilight star keeps it healthy...for the most part. Greene does admit that she has a couple guilty pleasures when it comes to tasty treats, but her biggest kryptonite might surprise you.

    "I try to eat relatively clean. That being said, part of the benefit of being active is that I kind of can eat whatever I want from time to time. Before photo shoots, I have to cut back on the sodium. I'm not really a sweets person, but I love pickles. They're always sitting in my fridge," she said.

    "I was talking to my friend, I was like, ‘I don't have a problem with anything else, but I really just want to eat one of those pickles and I can't do it.' I'm probably going to have one tonight. Pinkberry has this new peach flavor. I'm pretty sure I ate the whole tub of it. And Cheese-It's. I can't keep them in the house because I love them."

    Don't worry, Ashley, you're not alone.

    Will Smith and Margot Robbie Have Crazy Chemistry in Focus Trailer

    (10/10/14) (Trailer) The sparks are flying between Will Smith and Margot Robbie—onscreen, that is!

    The first trailer for Focus debuted Thursday, depicting Smith, 46, and Robbie, 24, as a couple of star-crossed con artists.

    In the dramatic romantic comedy (think Hitch, but a lot grittier), Smith portrays Nicky Spurgeon, a seasoned con-artist who boasts he can "convince anyone of anything." Robbie, who plays up-and-coming con artist Jess Barrett, is a little too eager to learn.

    "I want in," she says, adding provocatively, "Maybe you could teach me in your room!"

    "That is so bad," he replies, laughing about her seduction attempt, "Does it feel sexy on your face?"

    "A little," she admits.

    He then concedes, taking the blond beauty under his wing. Calling his young contemporary the "intern," Smith's character teaches her the tricks of the trade, later admitting, "You might be one of the best I've ever seen."

    Initially, the twosome work in tandem, but as the stakes get higher, tensions rise. "There's no room for heart in this game," says Smith's character. "That'll get you killed."

    Focus isn't all serious, though! There are some LOL moments even in the trailer, like when a passenger asks bluntly, "You hitting' that?" Robbie's character, sitting in the backseat, exclaims in disbelief, "I'm right here!"

    It looks entertaining to say the least! Focus hits theaters Feb. 27, 2015.

    CBS RENEWS HIT SERIES "UNDER THE DOME" AND "EXTANT"

    (10/10/14) CBS announced today that the hit series UNDER THE DOME and EXTANT will return for broadcast in summer 2015. Both from Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Television, UNDER THE DOME returns for its third season, and EXTANT for its sophomore season.

    "We're committed to delivering our viewers and advertisers year-round programming with a wide variety of storytelling," said Nina Tassler, Chairman, CBS Entertainment. "We continue to see summer as a great place for unique concepts, innovative business models and passionate television audiences."

    The successful second season of UNDER THE DOME was the summer’s top scripted series, with 11 million viewers, 2.7/08 in adults 18-49 and 3.6/10 in adults 25-54. EXTANT, starring Academy Award winner Halle Berry, won its 10:00 PM time period with 8.64 million viewers, 1.7/06 in adults 18-49 and 2.3/07 in adults 25-54. In addition to their broadcast on the Network, UNDER THE DOME and EXTANT had additional viewing on Amazon’s Prime Instant Video, which provided exclusive online subscription streaming four days after the airing on CBS.

    For summer 2015, UNDER THE DOME and EXTANT will join the previously announced freshman drama ZOO, based on James Patterson's bestselling novel, and the next edition of the summer reality hit BIG BROTHER, which has been renewed for 2015 and 2016.

    Charlie Hunnam & Margot Robbie In Talks For 'The Mountain Between Us'

    (9/4/14) Sons Of Anarchy’s Charlie Hunnam and The Wolf Of Wall Street’s Margot Robbie are in talks to star for Paradise Now helmer Hany Abu-Assad in The Mountain Between Us for Fox 2000 and Chernin Entertainment. An adaptation of the Charles Martin book, the film is a harrowing tale of survival and a love story. Ashley is a writer catching a flight from Salt Lake City and heading East for her wedding. Ben is a doctor returning from a medical conference. When their flight is cancelled due to a broken de-icer, the strangers agree to charter a ride, only to see the pilot suffer a heart attack and crash into a desolate snowy mountain region. He breaks ribs and she suffers a leg fracture. Fortunately, aside from a doctor he’s an avid climber, and as he struggles to get her down from the mountain in harsh weather, she begins to realize that maybe she was headed to marry the wrong guy.

    The film will be produced by Peter Chernin and Jenno Topping for Chernin Entertainment. The project’s scripters include J. Mills Goodloe and Scott Frank. Marisa Paiva is overseeing the project for Fox 2000.

    Hunnam, whose seventh and final season as the leader of the Sons Of Anarchy gang is just getting underway on FX, separately was set by Warner Bros and director Guy Ritchie to play King Arthur in what is conceived as multiple movies about the Knights of the Round Table. Robbie is separately negotiating to play the female lead in the DreamWorks Japanese comic book adaptation The Ghost In The Shell. She just wrapped Focus opposite Will Smith.

    'Wolf Of Wall Street's Margot Robbie Eyes 'Ghost In The Shell'

    (9/4/14) The Wolf Of Wall Street‘s Margot Robbie is in early talks to star in Ghost In The Shell, the Rupert Sanders-directed adaptation of the Japanese comic book for DreamWorks. Bill Wheeler wrote the script and Avi Arad, Steven Paul, and Mark Sourian are producing.

    The story follows a member of a covert ops unit of the Japanese National Public Safety Commission that specializes in fighting technology-related crime. Robbie’s next films include Focus opposite Will Smith and Z For Zachariah. She’s repped by CAA, Management 360, Aran Michael Management in Australia,and attorney Jeff Bernstein.

    Margot Robbie Plants a Fat Kiss on New Boyfriend Tom Ackerley

    (8/27/14) (Pic1, Pic2) Love is in the air for this Aussie beauty.

    The Wolf of Wall Street star Margot Robbie was spotted getting extra close and personal with a young cutie who has been identified as Tom Ackerley while in London. Wearing a long floral dress, Robbie was snapped by shutterbugs as she wrapped her arms around her new beau and planted a big smooch on Ackerley, who kept it cazh in jeans a T-shirt.

    In another PDA-friendly shot, Ackerley kept his hand around his lady's waist as the duo stared into each other's eyes. Yeah, it sounds like a romantic comedy, but apparently this is real life for some people.

    So who is this guy, anyway?

    Well, Ackerley is part of the entertainment industry, but he is not an actor. According to his IMDb page, Ackerley has worked as a crewmember and assistant director on multiple films.

    Recently, he was the third assistant director on Robbie's film Suite Française, which comes out later this year. The length of their relationship is unknown, but their flick Suite Française began filming in June 2014, so it wouldn't be wrong to assume that this movie was the meeting place for their budding romance.

    Regardless, these two are just too cute.

    Johnny Galecki Splits from Kelli Garner

    (8/27/14) Johnny Galecki and Kelli Garner have called it quits after more than two years together, a source confirms to PEOPLE.

    The breakup of The Big Bang Theory star and former Pan Am actress, who first stepped out together publicly in early 2012, comes just months after a romantic vacation in Mexico. The duo also attended the nuptials of Galecki's ex and Big Bang costar Kaley Cuoco, who married tennis player Ryan Sweeting in Santa Susana, California, on New Year's Eve.

    Reps for Galecki, 39, and Garner, 30, have not commented on the split.

    The news also comes on the heels of a very big month for the actor, who signed a new, three-year deal that will pay him – along with Cuoco and Emmy winner Jim Parsons – the same $1 million-per-episode salary given to the cast of Friends in its final season.

    Christina Ricci Welcomes Her First Child

    (8/8/14) One of America's favorite former child stars is now a mom!

    Christina Ricci and her husband James Heerdegen recently welcomed a baby boy, Us Weekly reports.

    This is the first child for the couple, who met on the set of the short-lived 2011 ABC drama Pan Am and wed in October 2013.

    Best known for her roles in The Addams Family and Casper, Ricci most recently starred in the title role of Lifetime's Lizzie Borden Took an Ax.

    Teen Choice Nominations

    (7/18/14) Choice Summer TV Star: Male

    Jean-Luc Bilodeau, Baby Daddy

    Tyler Blackburn, Pretty Little Liars

    David Lambert, The Fosters

    Tyler Posey, Teen Wolf

    Mike Vogel, Under the Dome

    Margot Robbie: I'm just a Plain Jane

    (7/10/14) (Photo) Aussie stunner Margot Robbie is “pretty” special — even if she doesn’t think so.

    The sexy “Wolf of Wall Street” star says she can’t understand why admirers find her so beautiful, insisting she’s a Plain Jane compared with her friends.

    “In my big group of girlfriends back home, I am definitely not the best-looking,” Robbie, 24, tells August’s Vanity Fair. “I did not grow up feeling like I was particularly attractive.”

    Be that as it may, she sizzles in the pages of the magazine, posing in bathing suits in beach-club settings.

    Ashley Greene -- Torched Apartment Sells for a Million After Amazing Makeover

    (7/10/14) (Photos) Ashley Greene's ex landlord finally unloaded the Sunset Strip apartment the 'Twilight' star set on fire last year -- for $1.1 million -- but Ashley could still be on the hook, financially, for the blaze.

    The 2-bedroom, 1,800 square-foot Hollywood apartment had to be completely remodeled -- the photos show the transformation -- after it was burnt to a crisp back in March 2013. Our real estate sources tell us the repairs cost $303,000 ... and the building's HOA insurance ended up footing the bill.

    As we previously reported -- Ashley, her brother, a friend and her 2 dogs were inside the apartment when a lit candle started the fire. One of the dogs died.

    By law, the new owners had to be told about the fire and the dog.

    Ashley's still dealing with lawsuits from her old landlord, the building owner, several neighbors, and even the doorman -- and the HOA is still trying to get her insurance to reimburse the $303K.

    You never know what's in the stars when you're a star

    (6/4/14) Christina Ricci told British Esquire: “Houseplants are dirty. Touching one freaks me out.”

    Margot Robbie Steps Out with Fiery Red Locks-See Her New Hair Color

    (5/31/14) (Pic1, Pic2) Ever since Margot Robbie's breakout peformance opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in The Wolf of Wall Street, she's had a whirlwind 2014—complete with plenty of changing hair colors for different roles.

    Since January, Margot has been a blond, a brunette, and as of today, she is a redhead.

    The 23-year-old actress stepped out in London Friday morning sporting brand new, fiery red locks. She looked especially chic in a pale blue coat with black lapel detailing, black skinnies and tortoise-rimmed sunglasses.

    Margot had dyed her hair brown for the upcoming film Z for Zachariah, but clearly her obligation of being a brunette is over and she decided to switch things up with a brand new hair color.

    We think this new color just may be Margot's best look yet. Which is your favorite look: Margot as a blond, brunette or redhead?

    Christina Ricci Expecting First Child

    (5/24/14) (Photo) First came love, then marriage and now Christina Ricci is ready for a baby carriage!

    The actress, 34, is expecting her first child with husband James Heerdegen, her rep confirms to PEOPLE.

    The mom-to-be’s pregnancy was revealed as she made her way through Los Angeles International Airport in a belted black dress with Heerdegen on Saturday.

    After meeting on the set of her former show Pan Am, Ricci and Heerdegen, a camera technician, went public with their relationship in February 2012, and announced their engagement one year later.

    In October, the couple wed in an intimate ceremony at Manhattan’s Harold Pratt House & Peterson Hall.

    “I can’t wait [to call him], ‘Husband,’ because then I can really throw my weight around,” Ricci joked to PEOPLE before the nuptials.

    And soon it will be, ‘Dad!’

    Fashionistas brave garbage stench to attend Dior show

    (5/9/14) Dior designer Raf Simons booked the Brooklyn Navy Yard to show the brand’s pre-spring collection on Wednesday night, but the attending fashionistas were struck by a pungent smell of garbage.

    One spy at the show that drew Rihanna, Marion Cotillard, Margot Robbie, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Allison Williams, Olivia Palermo and Christian Louboutin said arriving guests on a ferry from Manhattan were met by “an overpowering stench of sewage or garbage.”

    Some VIPs even felt queasy until they made it inside the show and escaped the olfactory onslaught.

    But, visually, Simons’ show got high marks. Guests then headed to private dinners followed by a party at The Standard.

    Ashley Greene Challenges Boyfriend Paul Khoury to a Car Race: But Who Won?

    (4/23/14) (Photo) Talk about one lucky fish!

    Sure, he may have been out of the water, but the fella undoubtedly thought it was a small price to pay to be held by the likes of Margot Robbie. In a bikini, no less!

    The beautiful Wolf of Wall Street actress took to Instagram on Tuesday and graciously posted a pic of herself sporting a sexy two-piece on a boat in Nicaragua.

    While our view of the hot 23-year-old is slightly obstructed here by her newfound friend, we're certainly not complaining.

    And it's probably safe to say that Robbie returned her pal to the ocean, seeing how she did write as the caption, "Fish are friends not food! #HappyEarthDay."

    The stunning star went from blond to brunette back in January.

    She recently revealed the change to her lovely locks was for her role opposite Chris Pine and Chiwetel Ejiofor in the post-apocalyptic drama Z for Zachariah, about a small farm town that's pressing on after a nuclear war.

    No word if the part calls for a bikini. Fingers crossed, though.

    Ashley Greene Challenges Boyfriend Paul Khoury to a Car Race: But Who Won?

    (4/14/14) Ashley Greene felt the need for speed before she hit the Coachella music festival in California on Friday.

    The former Twilight star, who's the new face of the Oakley eyewear Made for More campaign, challenged her boyfriend, Paul Khoury, to a race around the track at the Thermal Club on Thursday in Palm Springs.

    The 27-year-old suited up in full racing gear and slipped into a brand new Bentley at the Oakley Learn to Ride event as she took on her Aussie TV star beau.

    Greene's inner adrenaline junkie took over as she put the pedal to the metal and beat Khouri with a 26.3-second lap around the track – not bad considering the 27-year-old was wearing booties with two-inch heels!

    Margot Robbie Goes Makeup Free as She Wolfs Down a Burger on the Streets of London

    (4/10/14) (Photo) Lip gloss can get in the way of a good cheeseburger.

    And the beautiful Margot Robbie was not having that when she hit the streets for some shopping Wednesday.

    Flaunting a makeup-free face and fast-food filled hand, the Wolf of Wall Street stunner palled around with a girlfriend who was also indulging her hunger with some McDonald's delicacies.

    The 23-year-old actress was dressed for the damp U.K.weather in a black bubble jacket over a comfy cream sweater and also wore a satisfying grin as she devoured the ooey-gooey goodness.

    The blonde turned brunette is truly enjoying her time across the pond.

    Just days ago she posted a picturesque shot of a stormy London skyline with the caption, "Rainy days in old London Town."

    She also revealed her Instagram skills are still at a novice's level, adding "#discoveringhowtousefilterswoo! #stillcanthashtag."

    "In My Dreams" Premieres Sunday, April 20, 2014

    (3/19/14) Nick (Mike Vogel) and Natalie (Katharine McPhee) are the perfect couple, but there are a couple of things blocking their path to romantic bliss. First, they’ve never actually met, except in their dreams. Second, they have precisely seven days to turn those sweet dreams into a blissful reality in “In My Dreams,” the new Hallmark Hall of Fame movie premiering on SUNDAY, APRIL 20, 2014 (9:00-11:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

    Interviewed on the “In My Dreams” set, Mike Vogel describes how Nick and Natalie get together–in their dreams at least. “There’s an old wives’ tale involving the Hayward Fountain in our mythical town,” he recounts. “If you make a wish, then toss a coin in the fountain, you’ll meet the man or woman of your dreams, and you’ll have the most fantastic dreams for seven nights. But if the dream couple haven’t actually met in the real world before that time limit expires – well, it’s all over. So it’s really a race against time.”

    Charlotte (JoBeth Williams), Nick’s meddling mother, is determined to introduce her son to Ms. Right. Mike Vogel says that mother--son dynamic is one of the things that attracted him to the script and the project. “Nick’s Mom is a meddler,” says Vogel. “But she’s not mean-spirited. Her heart’s in the right place. She means well, she really does. She just can’t help herself!” Vogel describes “In My Dreams” as “a romance with hints of comedy.” His co-star, Katharine McPhee, agrees with that description. “This is a romance, first and foremost,” she says. “I firmly believe that Mr. or Ms. Right is out there for all of us. And who’s to say that throwing a coin in a fountain won’t lead you to the pot of gold at the end of the romance rainbow. I mean, if that can work for Nick and Natalie, why can’t it work for all of us? The trick is to find the right fountain!”

    “In My Dreams” stars Katharine McPhee (“American Idol,” “Smash”) as Natalie, Mike Vogel (“Bates Motel,” “Under the Dome”) as Nick, JoBeth Williams (“The Big Chill,” “My Name Is Bill W”) as Charlotte, Joe Massingill (“Epic”) as Joe, Rachel Skarsten (“Lost Girl,” “The Vow”) as Jessa, Antonio Cupo (“Bomb Girls”) as Mario and Jessalyn Wanlim (“A Cinderella Story: Once Upon A Song” as Sharla.

    “In My Dreams” was directed by Kenny Leon (“A Raisin in the Sun,” “Steel Magnolias”). Teleplay by Teena Booth (“Fatal Honeymoon,” “Amish Grace”) and Suzette Couture (“The Last Templar, Jesus”), with the story by Teena Booth. David A. Rosemont (“Pillars of the Earth,” “November Christmas”) is producer, Brent Shields (“The Magic of Ordinary Days,” “Christmas in Conway”) is executive producer. It is from Hallmark Hall of Fame Productions.

    Ashley Greene Transforms Into Priscilla Presley, Rocks a Retro Bathing Suit for Shangri-La Suite

    (3/8/14) (Photos: Ashley, Ron) Ashley Greene is transforming into Elvis Presley's former ladylove.

    The 27-year-old Twilight actress stars in the upcoming indie film The Shangri-La Suite as Priscilla Presley, alongside Ron Livingston, who plays the late King of Rock ‘n' Roll.

    In one of the shots taken on the set, Greene rocks a retro yellow bathing suit and smiles wide, as she films a scene with Emily Browning and Alyvia Alyn Lind, who portrays the couple's then six-year-old daughter Lisa Marie Presley.

    Livingston, meanwhile, sports Elvis' signature sideburns and haircut in the film, and rocks open shirts to show off his chubby belly.

    The film, which takes place in 1974, centers on two troubled mental hospital patients, Karen and Jack (Browning and Luke Grimes), who fall in love and drive cross-country to try to murder Elvis during one of his concert appearances in Los Angeles.

    Aside from the plot, details on a release date for the Eddie O' Keefe-directed film have not been released.

    Margot Robbie: 'I Feel Very Mysterious as a Brunette!'

    (3/7/14) It didn’t take us long to decide we loved Margot Robbie’s brown hair when she debuted it on the red carpet at Sunday’s Oscars. It took her a little bit longer — but now she’s a convert.

    “I did a movie and I didn’t have time to go back to blonde,” she told PEOPLE of her dark chocolate strands, which she wore femme-fatale style on the red carpet. “I’m liking it! I’m getting used to it. I feel very mysterious as a brunette!”

    The star, who Tweeted “She ain’t a Duchess no more,” from the set of Z for Zachariah (the film for which she went dark), is now thinking she might keep the brunette locks around for a while. “I might not dye it back right away,” she said. “I’ll wait until I know what my next movie is.”

    2014 MTV Movie Awards nominees

    (3/6/14) BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE
    Liam James, "The Way Way Back"
    Michael B. Jordan, "Fruitvale Station"
    Will Poulter, "We're the Millers"
    Margot Robbie, "The Wolf of Wall Street"
    Miles Teller, "The Spectacular Now"

    USA's Sirens Finds the Comedy in Life and Death

    (3/6/14) EMTs, aka emergency medical technicians, deal with life or death situations on an almost daily basis. However, between administering life-saving CPR and trying to shock someone's heart back to life, they see some pretty some weird (read: hilarious) stuff.

    "When we're talking to EMTs about the show ... I say it's a comedy and they say, 'Thank God,' and they tell me 10 funny things that happened to them on the job," Sirens executive producer Bob Fisher tells TVGuide.com. "A little bit of it is as a coping mechanism ... but, the body can be a funny thing, and so when you're dealing with these EMT calls, you're dealing with the heart of what is funny."

    That is the idea behind Sirens, a new half-hour comedy about three Chicago EMTs. Premiering on Thursday at 10/9c on USA, the show follows best friends and longtime co-workers Johnny (Pan Am's Michael Mosley) and Hank (Modern Family's Kevin Daniels) as they show the ropes to new addition Brian (Game Change's Kevin Bigley).

    The comedy was developed by Fisher and Denis Leary, who is no stranger to saving (TV) lives after playing a firefighter for seven seasons on the dramatic but also surprisingly hilarious Rescue Me. With that in mind, the creators of the original British comedy Sirens approached Leary about adapting the show for American television. Leary, whose own wife is an EMT, then reached out to Fisher, best known for writing buddy comedies like Wedding Crashers and Traffic Light. "I think the friendship between Johnny and Hank started the show for Denis and I," Fisher says. "Men are super sentimental, and their friendships mean a lot to them, and the way they express that need and that connectedness a lot of times comes from giving each other a hard time or fighting over sports or any of this other stuff. But underneath it is this tremendous love and loyalty."

    Although this line of work is more often ripe for dramatic fare, such as on NBC's current hit Chicago Fire and the short-lived Trauma, Fisher says the job title also made him want to sign on. "What appealed to me specifically about EMTs is that there's genuine stakes and life and death stuff going on," he says. "On a television show where you don't have any of that, it can feel kind of silly after all."

    That balance between the comedic moments and the potentially dramatic ones is what drew Mosley to the series. "It's fascinating this tempo that they live in — they're racing to a job and 75 percent of the time, it's going to be somebody having a panic attack that thinks they're having a heart attack or some little thing, but it could be the worst day of your life," he says. "Part of their coping is to bust each other's balls and make light of things that maybe other folks would take a little more seriously. I like the idea that you can sit there and listen to these guys go on for four minutes about who ate the last donut and then kind of get slammed with something a lot larger or more essential."

    In addition to the banter between the EMT team, the job itself, and specifically the outrageous calls they sometimes receive, leads to some hilarious moments as well. "When an EMT comes to your house, you're not ready for them. You didn't straighten the pillows. You didn't hide the stuff that's embarrassing," Fisher says. "That's really interesting and we explore a little bit of that."

    However, the show will have serious moments too, such as like a patient's death at the very beginning of an episode. "It ultimately creates a conversation between the characters about their relationship with this kind of larger question," Mosley says, "and then they all spin off onto their own kind of tangents of discovery and what it means for them."

    But Sirens still hopes to make you laugh rather than make you cry. "Whether we succeed or not, we want EMTs to go, 'OK, that's funny,'" Fisher says.

    Sirens premieres Thursday at 10/9c on USA.

    Margot Robbie's Dark Brown Hair Makes Red Carpet Debut at the Oscars

    (3/3/14) (Photo) You probably did a double-take when you saw Margot Robbie hit the red carpet at the Oscars. This is the first big award show the actress has attended as a brunette, and she’s almost unrecognizable! (She’s also one of those lucky people who can pull off any hair color. Sigh.)

    The Wolf of Wall Street star paired her black strapless Saint Laurent gown — featuring an embellished bodice and bow detail at the back — with loose Old Hollywood-inspired waves and a deep plum pout. While she couldn’t look more polar opposite than her on-screen character, Naomi the Duchess of Bay Ridge, the star’s dark wavy strands make her eyes green eyes pop even more.

    Robbie first debuted her darker do — for her role in the new film Z for Zachariah — in January.

    “First day on set for Z! She ain’t a Duchess no more,” she Tweeted, adding, “Prep for Z for Zachariah is well and truly underway – I’m now officially a brunette and spent the day milking cows and driving tractors!”

    What do you think of her new dark hue?

    Ashley Greene Plays Priscilla To Ron Livingston's Elvis In 'Shangra-La Suite'

    (2/27/14) Coming off the Zach Braff-directed Sundance premiere Wish I Was Here, The Twilight Saga alum Ashley Greene has been set to play Priscilla Presley in Shangra-La Suite, the Eddie OKeefe-directed drama which stars Boardwalk Empire‘s Ron Livingston as Elvis Presley. O’Keefe wrote the script with Chris Hutton. Ron Yerxa, Albert Berger and Tariq Merhab are producing. The film isn’t a study of Elvis’s courtship of the young Priscilla. It’s set in 1974 and focuses on two troubled 20 year olds who set out to kill The King. Shooting just began in Los Angeles. Greene, who’s repped by CAA and McKeon Myones, most recently completed Staten Island Summer and the Joe Dante-directed Burying The Ex.

    Margot Robbie Cuddles Up to Rumored Boyfriend Henry Aitken-Take a Look

    (2/26/14) (Pic1, Pic2) Is Margot Robbie no longer a single woman?

    The Wolf of Wall Street star has been spotted cuddling up to a handsome young man named Henry Aitken while shooting her next project in New Zealand, where Aitken works in the film's art department.

    But this seems to have already surpassed the sweet crush stage and gone to something a little more serious, because Aitken has changed his Facebook profile picture to a snapshot of him with a woman who looks to be Robbie being camera shy behind his shoulder.

    The main point is she made it to his Facebook profile picture. That's a big deal, you guys.

    Margot was also photographed giving her rumored beau an adoring look while working on the post-apocalyptic drama Z For Zachariah, which also stars Chris Pine and Chiwetel Ejiofor.

    E! News was surprised to find out that the starlet was unattached while talking to the beauty at the Golden Globe Awards, and even mores stunned to find out that the celeb was looking for someone who didn't share her same career path.

    "No, I don't really wanna date an actor, so this probably isn't the night I'm gonna find someone," she told us that evening.

    Well, Aitken is not an actor but he is in the industry. His Facebook page says he now lives in Auckland and studied at the New Zealand Film and Television School. He is the art director for multimedia production company Sakowski Studios, has a profile on modeling and talent agency Ican's website and has also worked on feature movies as well as short films and documentaries.

    Seems kinda perfect, right?!

    Ashley Greene Celebrates 27th Birthday With Twilight Costar Kellan Lutz, Boyfriend Paul Khoury

    (2/22/14) Ashley Greene spent her 27th birthday with her two favorite men: Kellan Lutz and Paul Khoury! The Apparition star invited a few friends to celerbate at West Hollywood's DBA Thursday, E! News has exclusively learned. "Ashley came with her boyfriend, Paul," a source says. "You could tell they really like each other. It's cute."

    Guests were served Ketel One vodka and champagne, and at one point, a confetti gun went off. "It was really fun!" the source says. The birthday bash also gave Twilight stars Greene and Lutz a chance to reconnect.

    "Kellan and Ashley are really good friends, and since they hadn't seen each other in a long time they finally had a chance to catch up," the source says. "They sat together talking for quite some time."

    Lutz, 28, came with two guys in tow and proceeded to flirt with a few girls at a neighboring booth. "At one point Kellan lifted one of the girls over to his table to dance with him," the source tells E! News.

    Greene treated herself to an early birthday present this year when she reportedly bought a Spanish-style home in Beverly Hills for $2.435 million. Not a bad gift!

    WB's 'Tarzan' Swinging Forward With Skarsgard, Robbie & July 2016 Release Date

    (2/11/2014) After putting the brakes on their 3D live-action Tarzan pic last year, WB is charging ahead again with True Blood‘s Alexander Skarsgård set to play the loinclothed Edgar Rice Burroughs hero. The pic, now in pre-production, will open on July 1, 2016. Skarsgård was attached to star in the David Yates-helmed pic when the studio cautiously stalled plans to move forward last spring. At the time Jessica Chastain was circling the female lead, but now the Jane role has gone to Margot Robbie who had a breakout turn in Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street this Fall.

    Tarzan will tell the familiar tale of the eponymous hero, orphaned as a baby and raised in the jungle, who returns to urban London as a man. Samuel L. Jackson and his Django Unchained co-star Christoph Waltz will also star. Jerry Weintraub, David Barron and Alan Riche are producing. Skarsgård is repped by CAA, Principal Entertainment LA, and Hansen, Jacobson, Teller, Hoberman, Newman, Warren, Richman, Rush & Kaller. Robbie is repped by CAA, Management 360, and Jackoway Tyerman Wertheimer Austen Mandelbaum Morris & Klein. Jackson is repped by ICM Partners, Anonymous Content, and Jackoway Tyerman Wertheimer Austen Mandelbaum Morris & Klein. Waltz is repped by ICM Partners.

    Sneak Peek at USA's Sirens: Being a Paramedic Can be a Pain in the Butt...Literally

    (2/10/14) Everyone thinks their job is a pain in the butt, but most 9-to-5 gigs are nothing compared to the work paramedics do.

    The new USA comedy Sirens, from executive producers Denis Leary and Bob Fisher, hopes to show just that. Take, for instance, a man who gets a soda bottle stuck up his butt. "We are paramedics, sir," Hank (Kevin Daniels) tells the patient. "Even if there was a device that sucked soda bottles out of the place we dare not go, our budget wouldn't cover it."

    As the promo says, "Funny things happen when you save lives for a living."

    Get an exclusive sneak peek at the comedy's new promo here.

    Sirens premieres Thursday, March 6 at 10/9c on USA.

    Margot Robbie: Acrylic Nails Were Essential to Playing My Wolf of Wall Street Character

    (2/6/14) She may have been snubbed for an Oscar nom for her role in The Wolf of Wall Street, but Margot Robbie has definitely captivated the fashion world (and PeopleStyleWatch.com editors) with her spot-on style moments, which is why we’re so excited to reveal some exclusive photos of the star in a beautiful new shoot for Violet Grey‘s “The Violet Files”. We’re also so excited that she’s opening up about the crazy nails and spray tan (seriously, we left the theater with an urge to go to Beach Bum) that defined her character.

    Robbie said the No. 1 trick to getting in Naomi’s (AKA the Duchess of Bay Ridge) head was to get her acrylic nails on. “The first thing I said was that my character needs acrylic nails all the time, because that changes everything. I couldn’t do anything the way I wanted to: I couldn’t wipe tears the way I would, I couldn’t brush my hair the way I would … it seriously created the character.” And of course, her transformation wouldn’t have been complete without that allover golden glow. “On Sunday night, I’d get my nails and my spray tan, after I finished watching football.”

    In the new shoot, the actress looks the complete opposite of her Wolf character wearing a menswear-inspired gray suit and slicked-back hair. “For this photoshoot I was trying to channel power and the idea that I ran an empire,” Robbie says.

    Read Robbie’s full interview on Violetgrey.com.

    'Twilight' Star Ashley Greene -- Takes Bite Of Bev. Hills -- Drops $2.4 Mil On New Crib

    (2/5/14) (Photo) "Twilight" star Ashley Greene will have a brand new view of the breaking dawn -- she just dropped $2.43 million on a home in Beverly Hills, TMZ has learned.

    Real estate sources tell us Greene -- who played vampire Alice Cullen -- bought a 3 Bedroom, 2,713 sq. ft. home in one of the canyons.

    Ashley had been living in a West Hollywood condo ... until an unattended burning candle torched the place last year.

    Check out the pics ... Ashley's new crib has a lot of fancy stuff, but best of all -- a master suite with a private sitting room, fireplace, dry sauna, steam shower and soaking tub.

    No need to go outside ... at all.

    Margot Robbie Dyes Her Hair Brown

    (1/28/14) (Photo) Just when you were starting to recognize The Wolf of Wall Street‘s Margot Robbie with her clothes on, the Australian actress (and red carpet newbie) has thrown you another curveball — she’s gone brunette, as seen in the WhoSay photo.

    Robbie dons a newly dark do and a trucker hat on the set of her new film Z for Zachariah, in which she stars as a girl in postapocalyptic America with a mysterious visitor. And appropriately, she captioned the photo “First day on set for Z! She ain’t a Duchess no more” — referring to her lavishly attired and super-glam character in Wolf. The actress had already given fans a heads-up that she was sporting a new look a few days earlier, Tweeting “Prep for Z for Zachariah is well and truly underway – I’m now officially a brunette and spent the day milking cows and driving tractors!”

    Jeremy Davidson Heads to Elementary

    (1/28/14) Jeremy Davidson has landed a guest-starring role on Elementary, TVGuide.com has learned exclusively.

    The Army Wives alum will play Gordon Cushing, a man long suspected of murdering his wife. But when he receives a ransom note claiming she's still alive, Sherlock (Jonny Lee Miller) and Joan (Lucy Liu) must figure out if the apparent kidnapping is real or merely an attempt by Cushing to clear his owned name.

    Davidson, whose other credits include Pan Am and Brothers & Sisters, will appear in an episode slated to air in March.

    Elementary airs Thursdays at 10/9c on CBS.

    'Lizzie Borden Took an Ax' was the best Lifetime movie in ages

    (1/26/14) One of the best things about Lifetime movies -- and this is said in the most affectionate, loving way possible -- is their low-budget crappiness. So imagine the shock after watching Christina Ricci in the historical thriller/courtroom drama "Lizzie Borden Took an Ax" and realizing that it was actually pretty good! No caveat required, no guilty pleasure tag needed.

    The movie took on the infamous 1890s trial of young New England woman Lizzie Borden, who was accused of murdering her father and stepmother with an ax (hence the title), and was later acquitted.

    Lifetime has a knack for attracting top-tier talent for what often ends up being silly little movies, but "Lizzie Borden" seemed different -- everyone was having a lot of fun without getting too over-the-top campy. The script was soapy enough without getting too melodramatic, and the costumes were fun and period-reminiscent, but not too high-maintenance.

    The great performances, combined with some excellent editing (erotic, slow-mo ax murder inserts notwithstanding) and a fun, modern-feeling rock soundtrack made "Lizzie Borden" more than your run-of-the-mill period piece and more than your run-of-the-mill dramatic Lifetime tale.

    It was legitimately good, not just Lifetime good. (Again, that is a loving term.) It's almost a new category of Lifetime movie -- there's the cheesy/terrible good, like "Untouchable: The Drew Peterson Story," the inspirational, like the upcoming "Gaby Douglas Story," and the cheesy/terrible bad, like the incredibly disappointing Lindsay Lohan comeback vehicle, "Liz and Dick."

    "Lizzie Borden" was fun, enjoyable, a little shocking, and overall well-made -- bravo, Lifetime!

    What did you think of "Lizzie Borden Took an Ax"?

    'Lizzie Borden Took an Ax': Was real-life Lizzie Borden guilty of murder?

    (1/26/14) Lifetime' "Lizzie Borden Took an Ax" was not only one of the network's best made-for-TV movies in ages, it was also based on the very true story of Massachusetts woman Lizzie Borden, played by Christina Ricci, who was tried and acquitted of killing her parents with an ax.

    The case is a thing of legend in the Northeast U.S., but perhaps isn't quite as famous in other parts of the country. Here's a quick guide as to what actually happened and what Lifetime took liberties with:

    In the movie, just as in real life, Borden was accused of the murders but was ultimately let off. The film also managed to mention some of the real-life evidence: that LIzzie had inquired about buying poison in the days before the murders, the number of times each victim was sliced with the ax, that Lizzie burned her dress after the police wanted to admit it into evidence, that Lizzie fainted when the skulls of her murdered parents were presented in court.

    The movie actually did an admirable job of alternately making us think that Lizzie did and didn't do what the prosecutor called "an incredible crime, a bloody and unthinkable crime" -- especially since it was committed by a woman.

    The popular opinion of the case throughout the years seems to be that Borden probably did it, but there wasn't enough evidence to convict. But "Lizzie Borden Took an Ax" took a definitive position: girlfriend did it, and she even confessed to her horrified sister after her acquittal. In the movie, Emma left Fall River, Mass. and never spoke to Lizzie again after the confession, but in real life the sisters lived together for more than 13 years before Emma moved out of their home.

    What did you think of "Lizzie Borden Took an Ax"?

    Christina Ricci Takes a Whack at Lizzie Borden for Lifetime

    (1/23/14) Was legendary ax murderer Lizzie Borden nothing more than a cold-blooded killer? That's the basis for Lifetime's latest film, which stars Christina Ricci as the titular woman standing trial for the murder of her parents.

    While there are countless theories about Borden's crimes — including that her father Andrew Borden's illegitimate son committed the murders or Lizzie committed them during an epileptic fit brought on by menstruation — Lizzie Borden Took an Ax seems happier sticking to the general consensus that Lizzie did the deed.

    "What we came up with was that [Lizzie] was somebody who has severe antisocial personality disorder and was very sociopathic and manipulative. [She] could only sort of express herself in needs and in a very narcissistic way," Ricci tells TVGuide.com.

    While much research has been done on the Borden murders, many questions remained unanswered, and the Lifetime movie doesn't bother offering any theories of their own. In fact, the film only barely touches upon Lizzie's motives, vaguely alluding to an incestuous relationship with her father as well as the financially and socially conservative lifestyle being forced upon her.

    Instead, Lizzie Borden Took an Ax focuses the majority of the time on the trial and how she got away with it. "What was more interesting for me to play was a guilty person trying to convince other people and possibly also herself that she is innocent," Ricci explains. And with such a flimsy alibi, Lizzie has a lot of convincing to do — especially with regard to her sister Emma (Clea DuVall), who is often brushed aside in retellings of the crimes.

    Even after catching Lizzie burning the dress she wore on the day of the murders, Emma's faith in Lizzie remains mostly intact — though painfully strained — throughout the film. "There's this sort of alignment that they have," Ricci says. "And she admits that they have to protect each other because they understand what the other one has gone through."

    All these years later, the legend of Lizzie Borden lives on — due in part to the unique circumstances of the crime. While most women kill with poison or a more hands-off murder approach, Lizzie chose to bludgeon her father and step-mother with an ax. "I think that shows a ton of rage and a desire to really kind of destroy and punish these two people," Ricci notes.

    And even though Lizzie was realistically the only person who could have committed the murders, she was acquitted because in 1892 , mostly because it was unfathomable that a woman could possibly murder anyone, let alone her parents. It's the story's tabloid-ready appeal that perhaps makes it a perfect fit in the Lifetime Movie vault.

    "It was one of the first really sensationalized courtroom dramas in our country," Ricci says of Lizzie's trial. "Especially [because] she was a young woman who was also an ax murderer who got away with it. I think that this was something that really captured and horrified the nation."

    It was these darker aspects to the story that Ricci, a true crime fan, enjoyed tapping into with a morbid glee. "It's really fun to play something that's so extreme, something that's so outside the realm of possibility for you," she says. "It's more like the kind of playacting you did as a child, because it's just so in your imagination and far from who you are."

    Plus, Ricci notes, "How many times are you naked with blood on you wielding an ax?"

    Lizzie Borden Took an Ax airs Saturday at 8/7c on Lifetime.

    Margot Robbie Wanted for Playboy: Hugh Hefner Thinks She'd Be Great!

    (1/23/14) Hugh Hefner probably isn't the first guy to want to see Margot Robbie in the pages of Playboy. But he is the one who really matters.

    It turns out the publishing legend was a big fan of The Wolf of Wall Street—and its leading lady, who played Leonardo DiCaprio's super-sexy trophy wife, Naomi.

    "She should be in Playboy! Send her a message!" Hef agreed when Us Weekly asked him at Playboy's 60th anniversary celebration at (where else?) the Playboy Mansion if he thought Robbie would be a good fit for the mag's storied pages. "We're ready for her. She would be great."

    And obviously Playboy is all about striking while the iron is hot.

    "We always want the latest, most popular girl of the moment, and that changes week to week," Hefner said.

    (Well, the only man who can pull off pajamas in public also said that he loved American Hustle, so we can only guess that Jennifer Lawrence isn't too far from the top of his wish list, either.)

    And Robbie, who did go topless in Wolf of Wall Street, certainly seems comfortable in her own skin. She tells a great story in the latest issue of Manhattan magazine about wanting DiCaprio to get out of her light during their big sex scene.

    "He was so incredulous that I had told him to get out of my light, and physically moved him out of the way, he was like, 'Did you really just do that?'" she recalls. "I don't think anyone has told him to get out of their light in quite some time. He seemed extremely [shocked], but it was kind of funny."

    Then again, Playboy also may not want to hold its breath.

    "I think nudity for the sake of nudity is shameful," Robbie recently told London's Telegraph. "If they've put it in just so that a girl gets her top off, then that's disgusting. And you can always tell.

    "But," she added, "I also think it's disgusting when someone would have got naked in real life, in the film they conveniently leave their bra on, or hold up the bed sheet. Seeing someone being choreographed into being covered up irritates me just as much."

    Hence her willing to strip for the sake of Martin Scorsese's vision.

    Meanwhile, the normally bright-blond Robbie tweeted that she is now officially a brunette for her role opposite Chris Pine and Chiwetel Ejiofor in the post-apocalyptic drama Z for Zachariah, about a small farm town that's pressing on after a nuclear war.

    'Wolf Of Wall Street's Margo Robbie Set To Star in 'Z For Zachariah'

    (1/19/14) Margot Robbie, the 23-year old Australian actress who made her breakout in The Wolf Of Wall Street, has signed on to play the female lead in Z For Zachariah. Directed by Craig Zobel, the film is an adaptation of the post apocalyptic Robert C. O’Brien novel and focuses on a young small town girl who survives a nuclear war. Robbie will star with Chris Pine and Chiwetel Ejiofor. She recently wrapped Focus opposite Will Smith, and Suite Francais. She’s repped by CAA, Management 360, and attorney Jeff Bernstein. Aran Michael is her Australian agent.

    Margot Robbie: 5 Things to Know About the Wolf of Wall Street Star

    (1/17/14) Leonardo DiCaprio and Jonah Hill may have nabbed Oscar nominations for their performances in The Wolf of Wall Street, but one of their costars has no doubt been stealing much of the spotlight.

    That, of course, would be Margot Robbie, the 23-year-old blond beauty from Australia who plays DiCaprio's trophy wife in the Martin Scorsese flick.

    Whether its audience members watching the movie, or TV viewers eyeing the gorgeous gal during, say, the Golden Globes, many are wondering, "Who is that?!"

    Well, allow us to fill you in. Here are five things you need to know about her.

    1. She's Done the Soap Opera Thing: Like many stars, one of Robbie's earliest gigs was on a sudser. In her case, it was the long-running Australian TV soap Neighbours from 2008 to 2011. Other famous faces who have appeared on the popular program over the years include Kylie Minogue, Guy Pearce, Natalie Imbruglia and Delta Goodrem. The series has also had its share of celebrity guest stars like Lily Allen and former Spice Girls singer Emma Bunton.

    2. Why She Might Look So Familiar: Most folks probably got their first glimpse of Robbie when she starred on the short-lived ABC show Pan Am opposite Christina Ricci. She also appeared in 2013's About Time with Rachel McAdams.

    3. She's Single: While walking the recent Golden Globes red carpet in a dazzling Gucci gown, Robbie revealed her status to E! News but noted, "I don't really want to date an actor, so this probably isn't the night I'm going to find someone."

    4. She Loves Hockey: Upon moving to the U.S., Robbie instantly became a New York Rangers fan, telling Film.com, "I always wanted to play ice hockey back in Australia, I'm not sure why, but we didn't have any ice where I lived...so I played field hockey."

    5. She's Not Going Away Any Time Soon: She will be seen later this year in Focus alongside Will Smith. In it, Robbie plays an impressionable woman who gets caught up—and then becomes romantically involved—with Smith's veteran grifter. She's also slated to shoot the crime thriller Violent Talent with Garrett Hedlund.

    Orlando Bloom 'flirty' with Margot Robbie

    (1/17/14) Has Orlando Bloom moved on from his divorce with Miranda Kerr?

    The star was spotted showing a lot of interest in “The Wolf of Wall Street” actress Margot Robbie at CAA’s Golden Globes after-party at the Sunset Tower Hotel on Sunday.

    Our sources said “There was flirting going on at the party, and why not? She is single and gorgeous.” But the source played down a Star report that the pair ended the night by kissing in the corner.

    Bloom and Kerr announced they were separating last October after three years together, but have remained good friends. Kerr has since been linked to Australian mogul James Packer, but his rep says they are “not in a relationship.”

    Margot Robbie: Kissing Leonardo DiCaprio for 17 Hours Isn't as Fun as It Seems

    (1/15/14) Margot Robbie has arrived.

    The Australian newcomer made her big awards show debut at Sunday's Golden Globes and sparked a flashbulb frenzy in her show-stopping, silk Gucci gown. Not only has she mastered the red carpet, but she's heating up the big screen with Leonardo DiCaprio in The Wolf of Wall Street – and earning rave reviews.

    Robbie, who starred on the short lived ABC television series Pan Am talks to PEOPLE about sharing kisses with Leo, dealing with her nude scenes and her obsession with ice hockey.

    "I'm still pinching myself," Robbie, 23, says about playing DiCaprio's feisty wife in her first major film role. "I'm extremely honored to be a part of this film. To work with Leo was unbelievable. He has always been my favorite actor and he became this wonderful big brother. He took me under his wing and always looked out for me, which is really nice."

    When it came time to film her kissing scenes with DiCaprio, who picked up a Golden Globe for his role, Robbie admits it wasn't as sexy as it looks on screen.

    "All of my girlfriends interrogated me and asked, 'Is he an amazing kisser?' I'd sit them down and say, 'All I know is his screen kissing is great.' Then they'd get upset and say, 'Tell me it was romantic and there were fireworks.' There weren't any. You do the takes in 17 hours, and it's just hot and sweaty."

    Kissing was one requirement that came with the job. The other was being nude for multiple scenes.

    "At first I was absolutely petrified. No matter how much mental preparation I did, I was still very nervous about it," Robbie says. "I just had to get it over and done with. By the end of the film there was so much nudity nobody was fazed about undressing. Now I have no concept of modesty anymore! It's funny how quickly I've got desensitized to that."

    Although she is no longer bashful about showing off her body, she still likes to dress up. Her favorite is her hockey uniform.

    "I'm a bit of a tomboy. I've always loved ice hockey," she says. "Growing up I always wanted to play, but I couldn't because we didn't have ice back home so I played field hockey and then I moved to America and started to play ice hockey. I play in a league in L.A. with my friend Liz. We are the only two girls. My position is right wing. My hockey is good, but my ice skating is terrible. It's a bit of a mess to watch!"

    Revenge Ups Karine Vanasse to Series Regular

    (1/14/14) Revenge's Karine Vanasse has been promoted to series regular for Season 4, Deadline reports.

    Vanasse began recurring at the start of this season as a French heiress who knew the Graysons growing up and recently relocated to New York to run Voulez Magazine. She is also a love interest and ally for Jack (Nick Wechsler).

    Although Revenge has not officially been picked up for a fourth season, it is expected to be renewed in May. Vanasse, 30, previously starred on the short-lived ABC drama Pan Am.

    Revenge airs on Sundays at 9/8c on ABC and moves to its new slot at 10/9c on Sunday, March 9.

    Christina Ricci Inspires New Trend "Riccing" After Squeezing Into a Refrigerator

    (1/14/14) (Photo) What tiny space can you fit into?

    You've heard of Tebowing, Kaepernicking and—after last night's Golden Globes—Lawrencing, but actress Christina Ricci sparked a new photo trend called "Riccing." The latest phenomena came about after the star started sharing photos of herself squeezing into tiny spaces.

    "Being small does have its benefits however. Look out for my new photo series, 'I Can Fit In That!'," Ricci wrote with a photo of her coming out of a dryer.

    Most recently, the celeb fit her entire body into a refrigerator. "Yes, pants would have been more appropriate fitting-into-fridge attire. But, hey, I saw my opportunity and took it," she wrote with the snapshot. "That's not my fridge, FYI. Work fridge. Work shenanigans."

    The photo trend caught the attention of Kelly Ripa and Michael Strahan, and shared their own photos of Riccing earlier today, after Ricci appeared on Live With Kelly and Michael.

    "Kelly fits in tiny places! #Riccing under her desk. Christina Ricci," the Instagram account for the television show wrote with a photo of Ripa hanging out under her work desk. Straham also participated in the fun...kinda.

    "Look who else fits in tiny places!! Lol Michael #Riccing under a table. #ChristinaRicci," the show wrote with a photo of Michael "under a table," except he kinda cheated. Strahan lifted the table above him, because let's be real—the guy is 6 foot 5 inches.

    "@KellyandMichael Nicely done, @michaelstrahan ! See? Big people can play too!," Ricci tweeted.

    Big Bang Theory's Johnny Galecki Smooches His Girlfriend on the Beach in Mexico

    (1/8/14) (Photo, Photo2) What an interesting time to suddenly show off some very public displays of affection, Johnny Galecki.

    Nearly a week after ex-girlfriend Kaley Cuoco tied the knot to Ryan Sweeting, the Big Bang Theory star was spotted relaxing on the beaches of Mexico with his longtime girlfriend Kelli Garner. And the couple wasn't afraid to show just how crazy they are about each other to the paparazzi.

    Galecki, comfortable in his swim trunks, cuddled close to his ladylove while laying down on the sand, and made sure to steal a few kisses.

    The actor, who is usually very underwraps with his private life, secretly dated Cuoco for two years.

    In the October issue of CBS Watch! Magazine, Kaley opened up about dating Johnny, who was her real-life boyfriend while he played her onscreen boyfriend. "It was such a huge part of my life and no one knew about it," Cuoco tells the mag in an article accompanied by a steamy photo shoot. "It was a wonderful relationship but we never spoke a word about it and never went anywhere together."

    Regardless of the romantic history, Galecki told E! News at the L.A. premiere of CBGB that he's "very, very happy" for Kaley after hearing of her sudden engagement. "She's very happy, which makes me terribly happy," he said.

    Galecki wasn't surprised, however. "I don't think any of us in the cast make any sort of...I don't think we surprise each other anymore at all," Galecki said, laughing.

    Margot Robbie had to face nudity fears to play DiCaprio's wife

    (1/7/14) Actress Margot Robbie had mixed feelings when she learned she had won the role of Leonardo DiCaprio’s movie wife in The Wolf Of Wall Street - because she’d have to strip for the cameras.

    The modest Australian admits she auditioned for the role of Naomi Lapaglia on a whim and never thought she’d have to worry about the film’s nudity - because she felt sure she wouldn’t get the part.

    She tells WENN, “I did the audition tape in L.A. and never expected (director) Marty (Scorsese) to see it. We were just hoping that (casting director) Ellen Lewis would see it. She handed it straight on to Marty and then I got a call saying Marty wants to see me read with Leo in a room with him in New York."

    “There was the nudity thing with Wolf Of Wall Street and I didn’t want to do nudity but then why did I audition?"

    “In hindsight the nudity seemed really intimidating but now that I’ve done it, it doesn’t seem like a big deal at all. There was no question of why it was in there. There are scripts I pick up where there is no reason why I’m getting my clothes off. That’s nudity for the sake of nudity which I do not agree with, ever. But when the nudity is warranted I totally agree with it."

    “In this case that’s Naomi’s power over Jordan and her currency in the world of millionaires. It makes perfect sense for her to use her body to manipulate him.”

    But she still had to confront her ethics: “For the sake of showing it on screen I had to confront that somewhat shock value... It was, ’Am I able to deal with that?’ It’s just different in this day and age because of the internet that if I do this it will be forever on YouTube."

    “And it’s not just a repercussion on myself but my family, my brothers and my grandparents have to deal with that! It affects everyone around me, so it’s not something to be taken lightly... But, if there’s ever a time to do nudity, it’s in the hands of Martin Scorcese. He will do it tastefully and he doesn’t exploit nudity, so I was confident in the fact that it would be done well and would be done tastefully. It was too good of an opportunity to pass up.”

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