The fevered excitement of a potential zombie apocalypse is a perfect mining ground for an array of entertainment arenas. From TV shows, video games and movies, there's never been a better time to pronounce your love of those flesh-gobbling undead shufflers than turning to a screen near you. While AMC's The Walking Dead has commandeered the small screen for several years now, Legendary are hoping to take a swipe at the zombie flagship with their effort Dead Rising: Watchtower.
Catapulting Tom Hanks back into audience's hearts with his compulsive and gripping true story thriller Captain Phillips, director Billy Ray looks poised to do the same for Julia Roberts in The Secret In Their Eyes. A remake of Juan Jose Campanella's Oscar-winning Spanish language feature, the Americanised version boasts a sterling cast that reeks of awards pedigree. Chiwetel Ejiofor, Nicole Kidman, Julia Roberts, Dean Norris and Michael Kelly co-star alongside Roberts.
AMC's top secret companion series to The Walking Dead has been granted a full two season order this week following the completion of its pilot. Word on the matter hails from THR. who reports that "the series is a prequel that takes place in Los Angeles at the onset of the zombie outbreak."
Matthew McConaughey's Oscar for Dallas Buyers Club might soon be joined by another golden statuette, as the buzz surrounding his current production, The Free State Of Jones is generating a lot of early Oscar chatter, even though his performance won't be viable for consideration until the 2016 ceremony in 2017.
Along with Quentin Tarantino, New York filmmaker Woody Allen is responsible for reigniting the careers of many actors with his quirky neurotic brand of dramedy. The prolific writer-director has churned out one feature a year for decades, each honing in on a particular aspect of the human condition brought to life through his talent-packed ensembles. While at times his output veers wildly from critical smash to critical flop, that hasn't stopped him from continuing to attract a wealth of Hollywood big hitters. His stellar track record for A-listers continues for his next flick, which now includes Bruce Willis, Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart as part of its starry line-up.
Leaving behind the nostalgia-tinted lens of last week’s Doris special, Looking returns its focus to the ever-shifting dynamic of Patrick’s complex heart. “Looking For Glory” does a damn fine job of showcasing the parallels between the main trio and their respective relationships, and in particular, Patty’s revitalised desire for a normal romantic commitment. Lest we forget that at the beginning of the previous episode he was footloose and fancy-free, without the messiness of having his heart strings tugged (amongst other things) by Kevin or Richie. As an exercise in narrative diversity, it strengthened Patrick’s likability and began steering him on a path towards the pursuit of something other than a man. It was a pleasure to witness the breakaway, but of course, no vacation lasts forever and 28 minutes later he arrived back at his apartment to find Kevin awaiting him.
HBO are currently courting Anna Paquin for Madame X, a miniseries she and her True Blood co-star Stephen Moyer are developing through their production company, CASM. Based on Kate Manning’s book My Notorious Life, the show is set in Victorian-era New York City and follows the life of Axie Muldoon, a wealthy New Yorker who helps her husband create a successful midwife business.
Fox's Batman prequel series Gotham looks set to lose one of its prominent villains at the end of the current season. Since the show debuted, much fanfare was made about Jada Pinkett Smith's treacherous baddie, Fish Mooney, one of the city's criminal kingpins who was designed specifically for the series. By ushering in the freshly minted character, Gotham's creators were able to instil a certain degree of mystery to her existence. In particular, would she live a fruitful life, or would she perish?
Exorcism movies are a sub-genre of horror that's constantly being mined for new ideas, despite the lack of new perspective on the tired topic. William Friedkin's definitive film on the subject landed over 40 years ago and has yet to face any serious competition, but could that be about to change? The latest entry into the niche hails from Mark Neveldine, whose forthcoming horror The Vatican Tapes tackles the perils of having one's body invaded by a nasty demon.
Nuzzled deep within NBC's summer schedule announcement lurks a piece of news that fans of Bryan Fuller's dark serial killer drama (fannibals?) Hannibal have been desperate to hear; its season 3 release date. Our next scheduled visit to the compelling, twisted and downright bloody world of Will Graham and Hannibal Lecter will be on Thursday, June 4th.
