Fox's Glee, which has held the title of TV's most inaccurately named show for some time now, will be returning for its sixth and final season at some point in the 2014-15 season (though it was conspicuously absent from Fox's fall upfronts), but it's coming back for a shorter season than fans of the series are accustomed to. Fox announced today that the series order for Glee's final season had been cut from 24 episodes to 13.
When star Paul Walker perished in a car crash last year, the entire future of the Fast & Furious franchise was thrown into jeopardy, with many wondering whether the series could even continue to release installments in good faith given the circumstances of Walker's death. Eventually, the decision was made to resume production on Fast & Furious 7, altering Walker's role and bringing in his brothers to help finish his scenes. Now, at long last, the film has wrapped production, after what was undoubtedly an extremely emotional and difficult shoot for all involved.
After taking on roles in thrillers like Dream House and The Bourne Legacy, then a supporting part in the big-budget Oz the Great and Powerful, Rachel Weisz is getting back to smaller dramatic fare by joining Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander in the Derek Cianfrance-directed The Light Between Oceans, we learned today.
Ahead of starting production in New Orleans this week, Frozen River director Courtney Hunt's courtroom drama The Whole Truth has added Saturday Night Live alum Jim Belushi to its cast, which is being led by Keanu Reeves and Renée Zellweger. The movie suffered a serious setback earlier this year when star Daniel Craig, then set for the lead role, dropped out right before production was due to begin. Luckily, Reeves was able to climb on board in June, and now the film is again ready to move forward.
There's a time-honored tradition of the Academy honoring A-list actors who put themselves through the mill with harrowing, stripped-down performances. Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto took home trophies last year for playing individuals afflicted with AIDS in Dallas Buyers Club, James Franco cut off his arm and got a nod for 127 Hours, and Naomi Watts took on a tsunami and came out with a nomination for The Impossible, to give some recent examples. I could go on, but I won't. Suffice to say, Reese Witherspoon is undoubtedly gunning for some attention this year with Wild, in which she plays a woman who embarks on a 1,100-mile journey of self-discovery across America.
Continuing the network's recent push for original scripted programming, including miniseries Ascension and an upcoming adaptation of the sci-fi classic 12 Monkeys, Syfy has ordered a pilot episode for The Magicians, a series based on Lev Grossman's bestselling modern fantasy trilogy.
Today, the sizable cast of Sacha Baron Cohen's spy comedy Grimsby continues to grow, with news that Oscar winner Penelope Cruz (Vicky Cristina Barcelona) has joined the cast in an important supporting role.
Members of Clone Club everywhere, rejoice! Now that its stellar second season has concluded, BBC America's sci-fi thriller-drama Orphan Black has been renewed for a third season of ten episodes.
When Louis Zamperini, former Olympic distance runner and WWII prisoner-of-war survivor, died at the age of 97 on July 2nd, his passing was marked by heartfelt obituaries and an outpouring of public recognition of the man's inspirational life and unbroken warrior spirit. This winter, however, the most rousing and wide-reaching tribute to Zamperini will arrive with the December release of Unbroken, an adaptation of Laura Hillenbrand's book by In the Land of Blood and Honey director Angelina Jolie.
Remember a few years back, when Dakota Fanning was the precocious child star stealing all our hearts? Well, while Dakota has grown up, staring us down as an evil vampire in The Twilight Saga and appearing in smaller films like Night Moves, it's pretty clear to see that her younger sister Elle has dethroned her in the hearts and minds of the general public. Since breaking out with Somewhere and Super 8, younger Fanning hasn't slowed down one bit, appearing in feel-good crowd-pleaser We Bought a Zoo, indie drama Ginger & Rosa, dystopian romance Young Ones and, most impressively, fairy-tale blockbuster Maleficent. Now, Fanning's ready to finally prove herself as a lead actress, with news that she's landed the lead role in How to Talk to Girls at Parties.
