SciFiAndTvTalk

The Nevers Coming In April (HBO/HBO Max)

HBO drama series The Nevers debuts Part One of its first season with six episodes beginning on Sunday, April 11th @ 9:00 p.m. EST/PST). Part Two's six episodes will follow at a later date, to be announced. The series will air on HBO and be available to stream on HBO Max. Check out the trailer below!

August, 1896. Victorian London is rocked to its foundations by a supernatural event which gives certain people - mostly women - abnormal abilities, from the wondrous to the disturbing. But no matter their particular “turns,” all who belong to this new underclass are in grave danger. It falls to mysterious, quick-fisted widow Amalia True (Laura Donnelly) and brilliant young inventor Penance Adair (Ann Skelly) to protect and shelter these gifted “orphans.” To do so, they will have to face the brutal forces determined to annihilate their kind.
 
Rounding out this genre-bending drama’s acclaimed cast are:

Olivia Williams ("The Ghost Writer") as Lavinia Bidlow, the wealthy benefactress funding the orphanage for Amalia’s outcasts, who are also known as the Touched.

James Norton ("Little Women") as Hugo Swann, the rich and irreverent proprietor of a den of iniquity.

Tom Riley (“Da Vinci’s Demons”) as Augustus “Augie” Bidlow, Lavinia’s sweet, awkward, younger brother with a secret of his own.

Pip Torrens (“The Crown”) as Lord Gilbert Massen, a high-ranking government official leading the crusade against our heroines.

Ben Chaplin (“The Thin Red Line”) as Inspector Frank Mundi, who’s torn between his police duties and moral compass.

Emmy-nominee Denis O’Hare (“American Horror Story”) as Edmund Hague, a deranged doctor searching for the source of the powers.

Amy Manson (“Once Upon a Time”) as the tortured, murderous Maladie, who derives power from pain.

Rochelle Neil (“Terminator: Dark Fate”) as the fire-wielding Annie “Bonfire” Carby, one of Maladie’s motley gang.

Zackary Momoh (“Seven Seconds”) as orphanage doctor Horatio Cousens, whose turn equips him with healing powers.

Eleanor Tomlinson (“The Illusionist”) as Mary Brighton, a broken and resilient performer pursuing her dream of singing on stage.

Elizabeth Berrington (“In Bruges”) as Lucy Best, adaptive and streetwise, her quick-wit and high spirits mask the pain of a tragic past.

Anna Devlin (“All the Money in the World”) as Primrose Chattoway who, at ten feet tall and a dreamy demeanor, wishes to be an ordinary girl not taking up too much space. 

Kiran Sonia Sawar (“HBO Max’s Pure”) as Harriet Kaur, a young Scottish Sikh and aspiring lawyer, determined to live her life as she planned.

Viola Prettejohn (“The Witcher”) as Myrtle Haplisch, a middle-class girl rescued from a family who cannot understand her - literally, as she can no longer speak any form of language they understand.

Ella Smith (“Ray & Liz”) as Désireé Blodgett, a prostitute with a power that gets her in trouble and a six-year old son who never speaks.

Vinnie Heaven as Nimble Jack, a rakish and charming young thief and an expert at breaking and entering.

Nick Frost (“Shaun of the Dead”) as feared criminal overlord Declan “Beggar King” Orrun.

Tom Hiddleston Joins The Cast of The Essex Serpent (Apple TV+)

 Tom Hiddleston as Will Ransome in The Essex Serpent. Photo courtesy/copyright of Apple TV+.

Golden Globe Award-winner and Emmy Award-nominee Tom Hiddleston (The Night Manager, The Hollow Crown) the forthcoming LOKI) will star opposite Claire Danes in The Essex Serpent, a new Apple Original drama series adapted from Sarah Perry’s bestselling and 2016 British Book Award-winning novel of the same name. Hiddleston will play the lead role of Will Ransome,’the trusted leader of a small rural community.

The Essex Serpent follows newly widowed Cora (played by Claire Danes) who, having being released from an abusive marriage, relocates from Victorian London to the small village of Aldwinter in Essex, intrigued by a local superstition that a mythical creature known as the Essex Serpent has returned to the area.

The series will be directed by Clio Barnard (The Selfish Giant, The Arbor) and adapted from the novel by Anna Symon (Deep Water, Mrs Wilson). Jamie Laurenson, Hakan Kousetta, Patrick Walters, Iain Canning, Emile Sherman will executive produce the show alongside Clio Barnard and Anna Symon. Andrea Cornwell will serve as producer. The series is produced by Emmy and Academy Award winning production company See-Saw Films.

Lena Headey To Star in Beacon 23 (AMC/Spectrum)

Lena Headey. Photo courtesy/copyright of Danny Moloshok/Shutterstock

Renowned film and television actress Lena Headey has boarded the previously announced Spectrum Originals and AMC Networks psychological thriller Beacon 23. Headey will star in the series as, “Aster, a woman who mysteriously finds her way to a lonely beacon keeper on his lighthouse in the darkest recesses of space. She will also executive produce the project through her production company, Peephole Productions, as part of her first-look deal with Boat Rocker Studios. 

From creator Zak Penn (Ready Player One, The Avengers), this intimate, suspenseful thriller follows two people whose fates become entangled after they find themselves trapped together at the end of the known universe.  A tense battle of wills unfolds at the edge of space, Halan, the beacon keeper, begins to question whether Aster is friend or foe as her ability to disguise her agenda and motives could make her a formidable opponent.  Co-commissioned by Spectrum Originals and AMC Networks, co-produced by Spectrum Originals and Boat Rocker Studios, the series is based on the book of the same name by The New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Hugh Howey.  After a nine-month exclusive run for Spectrum, Beacon 23 will be an AMC original with a second window across AMC Networks platforms.

“We had exactly one person in mind when thinking about who could play Aster – who could bring the strength, the vulnerability and the brilliance to Zak’s complex character? No one but Lena Headey”, said Katherine Pope, Head of Spectrum Originals. “We couldn’t be more excited to go on this thrill ride with Lena and Zak leading the way.”

“Having known and worked with Lena the past few years my admiration for her inspiring talent is unending. I’m so thrilled that Lena embraced the role of Aster and equally happy she’ll be executive producing through her production company Peephole,” said Katie O’Connell Marsh, Vice-Chair, Boat Rocker Studios.  

"This is such an exciting casting. Lena is a towering giant in the business, a remarkable and multi-dimensional talent, and to have her as part of this series elevates it in every way," said Dan McDermott, president of original programming for AMC Networks Entertainment Group and co-president of AMC Studios.  

“Lena Headey was a wonderful, versatile actress before she gave one of the defining performances in television history. So, as they say, ‘no pressure.’ I’m thankful to all the people making this show possible, they just keep delivering beyond my expectations,” said  Zak Penn, creator, executive producer, and showrunner. 

Zak Penn serves as creator, executive producer, and showrunner, along with executive producers Ira Steven Behr (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Outlander and The 4400), Lena Headey, Tina Thor, Elisa Ellis, and Katie O’Connell Marsh (Narcos, Hannibal) for Boat Rocker Studios. 

Snowpiercer Two-Hour Second Season Finale Coming March 29th! (TNT)

The non-stop twists and turns of the season have led to this moment. TNT is giving fans a double dose of Snowpiercer with a riveting two-hour season finale on Monday, March 29 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on TNT. The series is pre-empted on Monday, March 22 for the NCAA Tournament. Viewers will have to wait to see what’s next as the train keeps moving onto season three. 
 
Throughout the season, viewers have seen an entirely new power struggle emerge, causing a dangerous rift as people are divided between their loyalty to Layton (Daveed Diggs) and to Mr. Wilford (Sean Bean), who has a new train, new technology and a game plan that keeps everyone guessing. While Layton battles Wilford for the soul of Snowpiercer, Melanie (Jennifer Connelly) leads the charge on a shocking new discovery that could change the fate of humanity. 
 
Snowpiercer season two stars Oscar winner Jennifer Connelly, Grammy and Tony Award winner Daveed Diggs, Sean Bean, Rowan Blanchard, Emmy nominee Alison Wright, Mickey Sumner, Iddo Goldberg, Katie McGuinness, Tony Award winner and Grammy nominee Lena Hall, Annalise Basso, Sam Otto, Roberto Urbina, Sheila Vand, and Steven Ogg. 
 
Snowpiercer is executive produced by Graeme Manson, Marty Adelstein and Becky Clements, Matthew O’Connor, Ben Rosenblatt and Scott Derrickson, and the original film’s producers, including Bong Joon Ho, Miky Lee, Jinnie Choi, Park Chan-wook, Lee Tae-hun and Dooho Choi. The show is produced by Tomorrow Studios, along with CJ Entertainment. ITV Studios handles international distribution.   

Outlander Renewed For Seventh Season (STARZ)

Outlander's Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan. Photo courtesy/copyright of STARZ.

STARZ has announced that it has picked up an additional season of the Golden Globe-nominated STARZ Original series Outlander from executive producer Ronald D. Moore and Sony Pictures Television. Matthew B. Roberts will continue as showrunner. Adapted from Diana Gabaldon’s international bestselling book, Starz has committed to this 12-episode order for Outlander, assuring the hit time-travel saga will run a seventh season. Season seven of the hit series will be based on the seventh of the eight books in the Outlander series, entitled An Echo in the Bone.
 
“STARZ is committed to investing in unapologetic, bold premium storytelling that amplifies diverse voices and shines a spotlight on women in front of and behind the camera through our #TakeTheLead initiative,” said Christina Davis, President of Original Programming for STARZ. “The hit series Outlander embodies everything about our initiative including a powerful female lead character and an amazing team of storytellers. We look forward to following the adventures of Claire and Jamie in America during the Revolution as well as more time travel during this next season.”
 
“We are so excited STARZ has given us the opportunity to continue the epic Outlander journey,” said Roberts. “We can’t wait to get into the writer’s room and start breaking Echo in the Bone and look forward to giving the fans another season of this exhilarating story.”
 
Ronald D. Moore, Matthew B. Roberts, Maril Davis, Toni Graphia, Andy Harries and Jim Kohlberg will executive produce. Caitriona Balfe (Claire Randall Fraser), Sam Heughan (Jamie Fraser), Sophie Skelton (Brianna Randall) and Richard Rankin (Roger Wakefield), who are currently filming the sixth season of Outlander in Scotland, will return for the seventh season.
 
Heughan (Bloodshot, The Spy Who Dumped Me) can currently be seen in Men in Kilts: A Roadtrip with Sam and Graham on Sunday nights at 8:00PM ET/PT on STARZ. The eight-episode docuseries follows Heughan and Outlander star Graham McTavish (Preacher, The Hobbit trilogy) on an epic adventure through Scotland, as they explore their heritage while meeting an incredible collection of people who truly showcase what it means to be Scottish. Men in Kilts has given fans desperate for the end of "Droughtlander" relief by featuring Outlander clips within the travel docuseries.
 
The “Outlander” television series is inspired by Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series that has sold an estimated 50 million copies worldwide, with all of the books gracing the New York Times best-seller list. The Outlander television series has become a worldwide success with audiences, spanning the genres of history, science fiction, romance and adventure in one amazing tale. Outlander is produced by Tall Ship Productions, Left Bank Pictures and Story Mining & Supply Company, in association with Sony Pictures Television.
 
Starz recently launched its #TakeTheLead initiative, the company’s comprehensive effort to deepen its existing commitment to narratives by, about and for women and underrepresented audiences.

“Outlander” Online
For more information, go to the official “Outlander” Facebook Page and follow @Outlander_Starz on Twitter and Instagram. Join the conversation with #Outlander and #STARZ.

Cypher Premieres This Month (The Roku Channel)

ROKU today announced a new scripted series, Cypher, will premiere exclusively on The Roku Channel on March 19. The series will be available for the first time to viewers in the U.S. and Canada. The show features seven one-hour episodes and will be available to viewers of The Roku Channel for free. Check out the new trailer!

Cypher puts viewers in the passenger seat alongside top FBI cryptanalyst, Will Scott (Martin Dingle Wall, Home & Away, COPS L.A.C.), who is enlisted to crack a coded document, which is revealed to be a hit list. Will soon finds himself in the crosshairs of the bad guys who want their list back. He must navigate the murky waters of loyalty and betrayal amongst an underground ring of hackers, hit men and FBI agents - all as the clock ticks in pursuit of the latest targets.

“Roku is a pioneer in TV streaming with millions of engaged users,” said executive producer and showrunner Zeus Zamani, continuing that “The Roku Channel is a premiere destination for streaming entertainment because of the scale and diversity of its audience.” Producer Justin Jones adds, “We are absolutely thrilled that viewers in the U.S. and Canada will get to see Cypher for the first time on The Roku Channel.

As the home for both free and premium entertainment on the Roku platform, The Roku Channel delivers thousands of titles, including free movies and TV episodes. In Q4 2020, usage of The Roku Channel grew nearly twice as fast as the overall platform and reached U.S. households with an estimated 63 million people, up more than 100% year-over-year.

“As The Roku Channel continues to grow, we’re constantly looking for ways to elevate the streaming experience for our viewers and get them to great entertainment easily and for free,” said Sweta Patel, Vice President of Engagement Growth Marketing, at Roku. “Because of The Roku Channel’s incredible reach, Cypher has the ability to be streamed by millions of engaged viewers. We are excited to license this content exclusively for our U.S. and Canadian audiences and premiere it on The Roku Channel.”

Cypher, produced by Aroma Studios & United Bros., stars Martin Dingle Wall as skilled cryptanalyst Will Scott, Jaclyn Hales (Mosaic, Christmas Eve) as Claire, a mysterious woman who offers to protect and help Will, Mary Helen Schmidt (She is Mine) as Will’s ex-wife Leah, Lauren Gravitt as Will’s daughter, Brian Krause (Charmed) as the FBI’s head of the case Robert, John Reardon (Hudson & Rex) as Antoine, Eve Mauro (Age of the Living Dead, Dystopia) as respected FBI agent Reese, and John J. Jordan as Andre, Reese’s partner. The series was created and directed by Majdi Smiri with Tamer Mortada, Walid Sabry, Steve Chicorel, & Kelly Mi Li also serving as executive producers.

The Roku Channel’s diverse lineup features more than 40,000 free movies and programs and 165+ free live linear television channels. In addition to the Roku platform, The Roku Channel is also available on Web, iOS and Android devices, Amazon Fire TV and select Samsung TVs and can be accessed internationally in the U.S., Canada and the U.K. 

Fear The Walking Dead Returns In April - New Trailer & Key Art (AMC)

AMC released today the official key art and a new promo for the highly-anticipated return of Fear the Walking Dead with the second half of season six, featuring nine episodes, premiering Sunday, April 11 at 9:00 pm/8c. In addition, AMC+ will debut the first episode on Sunday, April 4 – one week ahead of its linear premiere. All subsequent episodes will debut early on the premium streaming bundle, every Thursday prior to the episodes’ linear premiere on Sundays, beginning April 15th. Check out the key art above and trailer below!

As Morgan’s (Lennie James) bid to free the remaining members of the group becomes bolder, Virginia (Colby Minifie) grows increasingly desperate to find her sister and protect the settlements from forces working inside and outside her walls. The second half of season six reveals the impact of what living under Virginia’s control has done to each person in this group, who once saw themselves as a family. New alliances will be formed, relationships will be destroyed, and loyalties forever changed. When everyone is forced to take sides, they discover the meaning of, “The End is the Beginning.”'

Fear the Walking Dead is executive produced by Scott M. Gimple, Showrunners Andrew Chambliss and Ian Goldberg, Robert Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd, Greg Nicotero and David Alpert and is produced by AMC Studios.

Apple TV+ Orders International Sci-Fi Thriller Series Dr. Brain

Apple TV+ today announced an expansion of its sweeping international slate with a series order for Dr. Brain, a new sci-fi thriller based on the widely popular Korean webtoon that will be written and directed by visionary filmmaker Kim Jee-Woon (A Tale of Two Sisters, I Saw the Devil), and star SAG Award-winner Lee Sun-Kyun (Parasite). The series marks the first Korean-language project for Apple TV+.

 

Now in production in South Korea and set to debut later this year, Dr. Brain is an emotional journey that follows a brain scientist who is obsessive about figuring out new technologies to access the consciousness and memories of the brain. His life goes sideways when his family falls victim to a mysterious accident, and he uses his skills to access memories from his wife’s brain to piece together the mystery of what actually happened to his family and why.

 

Dr. Brain is produced for Apple TV+ by Korea-based studio, Bound Entertainment, along with Kakao Entertainment, Studioplex and Dark Circle Pictures. Kim Jee-Woon serves as executive producer alongside Samuel Yeunju Ha, executive producer of Kim Jee-woon's “Illang: The Wolf Brigade,” and Bong Joon-Ho’s “Okja.” Ham Jung Yeub and Daniel Han executive produce for Studioplex, and Joy Jinsoo Lee and Min Young Hong serve as executive producers for Kakao Entertainment.

Calls Premieres This Month (Apple TV+)

Apple TV+ has released the trailer for the new genre-bending thriller Calls, which will premiere globally with all nine episodes of the first season on Friday, March 19, 2021. Based on the buzzy CANAL+ French series of the same name created by Timothée Hochet, Calls is a groundbreaking, immersive television experience that masterfully uses audio and minimal abstract visuals to tell nine bone-chilling, short-form stories. Directed by Fede Álvarez (Don’t Breathe), each episode follows a darkly dramatic mystery that unfolds through a series of seemingly average, unconnected phone calls that quickly become surreal as the characters face growingly unsettling experiences. Check out the trailer below!

The stellar cast assembled to bring this Apple Original series of eerie conversations to life includes Nicholas Braun (Succession), Clancy Brown (The Shawshank Redemption), Lily Collins (Emily in Paris), Rosario Dawson (Jane the Virgin), Mark Duplass (The Morning Show), Karen Gillan (Avengers: Endgame), Judy Greer (Halloween), Paul Walter Hauser (Cobra Kai), Danny Huston (Children of Men), Nick Jonas (Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle), Riley Keough (The Girlfriend Experience), Joey King (The Act), Stephen Lang (Avatar), Jaeden Martell (Defending Jacob), Paola Nuñez (Bad Boys for Life), Pedro Pascal (The Mandalorian), Edi Patterson (The Righteous Gemstones), Aubrey Plaza (Parks and Recreation), Danny Pudi (Mythic Quest), Ben Schwartz (House of Lies), Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Tenet) and Jennifer Tilly (Family Guy). 

Calls is an Apple Original series in association with CANAL+, produced with Studiocanal and Bad Hombre, and will stream globally in over 100 countries on Apple TV+. A French-language version of the series will premiere on CANAL+ in select markets where CANAL+ is available. In select Spanish-speaking Latin America markets, Apple TV+ will premiere the series under the title Llamadas, with a fully immersive experience with Spanish-language custom graphics.  

Boss Level Premieres Tomorrow on Hulu

Trapped in a time loop that constantly repeats the day of his murder, former special forces agent Roy Pulver (Frank Grillo) uncovers clues about a secret government project that could unlock the mystery behind his untimely death. In a race against the clock, Pulver must hunt down Colonel Ventor (Mel Gibson), the powerful head of the government program, while outrunning skilled ruthless assassins determined to keep him from the truth in order to break out of the loop, save his ex-wife (Naomi Watts) and live once again for tomorrow. Boss Level premieres Friday, March 5th on Hulu. Check out the trailer below.

The film is directed by Joe Carnahan; written by Chris Borey & Eddie Borey and Joe Carnahan; and produced by Joe Carnahan, Frank Grillo, Randall Emmett, George Furla. It stars Frank Grillo, Mel Gibson, Naomi Watts, Annabelle Wallis, Ken Jeong, Will Sasso, Selina Lo, Meadow Williams and Michelle Yeoh. Super Bowl champion Rob Gronkowski and MMA heavyweights Rashad Evans and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson guest star.

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