SciFiAndTvTalk

STARZ Releases Sneak Peek Clip From Becoming Elizabeth

Tom Cullen and Alicia von Rittberg in Becoming Elizabeth. Photo courtesy/copyright of STARZ.

STARZ is excited to unveil a sneak peek clip from the series premiere of Becoming Elizabeth, premiering Sunday, June 12th, at 9:00pm ET. In Keep Your Knife Bright, with Henry VIII dead, his children; Mary, Elizabeth and Edward find themselves pawns in a game for control of this new England. Check out the clip!

Long before she ascended the throne, young Elizabeth Tudor, played by Alicia von Rittberg (Fury, Charité, Genius), was an orphaned teenager who became embroiled in the political and sexual politics of the English court. The death of King Henry VIII sees his nine-year-old son Edward, played by Oliver Zetterström (The Midnight Gang, The Romanoffs), take the throne and sets into motion a dangerous scramble for power when Elizabeth, Edward and their sister Mary, played by Romola Garai (The Hour, The Miniaturist) find themselves pawns in a game between the great families of England and the powers of Europe who vie for control of the country.

Additional key players in the relentless quest for power include King Henry’s widow, Catherine Parr, played by Jessica Raine (The Informer, Patrick Melrose), Thomas Seymour, played by Tom Cullen (Weekend, Black Mirror), the new King’s uncle, who quickly marries the widowed Catherine but soon takes an interest in the teenage Elizabeth and Duke of Somerset, played by John Heffernan (The Pursuit of Love, The Crown), who loses no time in claiming the position of Lord Protector for himself when the old King dies.

The upcoming drama series also stars Jamie Blackley (Greed, The Last Kingdom), Alexandra Gilbreath (Tulip Fever, RSC’s Provoked Wife), Jamie Parker (1917, Harry Potter and The Cursed Child), Leo Bill (Rare Beasts, In Fabric), Bella Ramsey (Game of Thrones, The Last of Us), Ekow Quartey (This Way Up, A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Shakespeare’s Globe), Alex Macqueen (Sally4Ever, Peaky Blinders) and Olivier Huband (I Hate Suzie, A Discovery of Witches). 

Becoming Elizabeth is created and written by award-winning playwright and television screenwriter Anya Reiss (Spur of the Moment, The Acid Test) who also serves as executive producer with The Forge’s George Ormond (National Treasure, Great Expectations) and George Faber (Shameless, STARZ’s The White Queen) with Lisa Osborne (Little Dorrit, Man in an Orange Shirt) producing. 

Moonhaven - Official Trailer Released (AMC+)

AMC has debuted the official trailer for the upcoming suspense thriller, Moonhaven from creator Peter Ocko (Lodge 49, Black Sails, Elementary). The series is set in a utopian colony on the moon that may hold the keys to preserving life on Earth, which has become increasingly perilous, and features an acclaimed ensemble cast including Emma McDonald (Queens of Mystery), Dominic Monaghan (Lost) Amara Karan (Doctor Who), Ayelet Zurer (Losing Alice), Joe Manganiello (True Blood), Kadeem Hardison (Black Monday), and Yazzmin Newell (The Last Tree). The first two episodes of the series will debut Thursday, July 7th exclusively on AMC+ with additional episodes dropping Thursdays, weekly. Check out the trailer!

Moonhaven centers on Bella Sway (McDonald), a lunar cargo pilot and smuggler 100 years in the future who finds herself accused of a crime and marooned on Moonhaven, a utopian community set on a 500 square mile Garden of Eden built on the Moon to find solutions to the problems that will soon end civilization on Mother Earth. A skeptic in Paradise, Bella is sucked into a conspiracy to gain control of the artificial intelligence responsible for Moonhaven's miracles and teams with a local detective to stop the forces that want to destroy Earth's last hope before they are destroyed themselves.

An AMC Studios production, Moonhaven is executive produced by Ocko and Deb Spera, who is a non-writing executive producer.  

Motherland: Fort Salem - Season Three Premieres Later This Month (Freeform)

The third and final season of Motherland: Fort Salem premieres on Tuesday, June 21st on Freeform. The end of season two of left Abigail, Tally, Raelle, and Scylla fugitives on the run. Now without a military nor a home, they seek protection alongside the Dodger community in the Cession — but laying low and staying out of trouble has never been their strong suit. With witch hunters working against them from inside the White House, our heroes must call upon ancient forces in the final battle for their right to exist. Check out the trailer below.

The series stars Taylor Hickson, Jessica Sutton, Ashley Nicole Williams, Amalia Holm, Demetria McKinney and Lyne Renée. In addition, fan-favorites Sheryl Lee Ralph (as President Wade), Victor Webster (as Blanton Silver), Tony Giroux (as Adil) and Catherine Lough Haggquist (as Petra Bellweather) will be back as recurring cast members. Executive produced by Eliot Laurence, Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, Kevin Messick, Amanda Tapping, Brian Studler and Tracey Jeffrey. The final season of Motherland: Fort Salem will premiere Tuesday, June 21, at 10:00 p.m. EDT on Freeform, available next day on Hulu.

HBO Releases Key Art for Season Four of Westworld

HBO released the key art (see above) for season four of Westworld during its headlining ATX TV Festival Closing Night Event. The Emmy winning drama series returns for its eight-episode fourth season SUNDAY, JUNE 26 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and will be available to stream on HBO Max. Panelists at ATX included Lisa Joy (Co-Creator, Writer, Director, and Executive Producer), Alison Schapker (Writer and Executive Producer), and stars Evan Rachel Wood, Jeffrey Wright, Luke Hemsworth, Angela Sarafyan, and Aurora Perrineau. James Marsden appeared as a surprise panelist announcing he will return for season four.

Season four stars Evan Rachel Wood, Emmy winner Thandiwe Newton, Ed Harris, Jeffrey Wright, Tessa Thompson, Luke Hemsworth, Aaron Paul, Angela Sarafyan, and James Marsden.  Additional cast includes Oscar winner Ariana DeBose, Aurora Perrineau, and Daniel Wu. Westworld was created for television by Jonathan Nolan & Lisa Joy, who are executive producers with Alison Schapker, Denise Thé, J.J. Abrams, Athena Wickham, Richard J. Lewis, and Ben Stephenson. Production companies: Kilter Films and Bad Robot Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television; based on the film written by Michael Crichton.

What We Do In The Shadows Renewed For Fifth & Sixth Seasons (FX)

Proving vampire roommates might be forever, FX’s What We Do in the Shadows has been renewed for fifth and sixth seasons, it was announced today by Nick Grad, President, Original Programming, FX Entertainment. The series will be coming soon to Star+ in Latin America and Disney+ under the Star banner in all other territories.

“There’s a lot of life left in our favorite vampires from Staten Island and FX couldn’t be more thrilled to commit to two additional seasons of this phenomenal series,” said Grad. “What We Do in the Shadows excels on every level, from the brilliant cast and surprising guest stars to the producers, writers, directors and crew. We can’t wait for everyone to enjoy season four, knowing that the next two are on the way.”

In its first two seasons, What We Do in the Shadows received 10 Emmy Award nominations, including one for Outstanding Comedy Series. Season 3 is currently eligible for Emmy consideration and recently earned three Critics’ Choice Award nominations, including one for Best Comedy Series. The show, which is based on the feature film by Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi, documents the nightly exploits of vampire roommates Nandor (Kayvan Novak), Laszlo (Matt Berry), Nadja (Natasia Demetriou) and Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch) as they navigate the modern world of Staten Island with the help of their human familiar, Guillermo (Harvey Guillén).

Season four of What We Do in the Shadows premieres with two back-to-back episodes on Tuesday, July 12 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on FX and streaming the next day on Hulu. The teaser trailer is available now. Executive Producers are Paul Simms, Jemaine Clement, Taika Waititi, Stefani Robinson, Sam Johnson, Garrett Basch and Eli Bush. What We Do in the Shadows is produced by FX Productions.

In the shocking season three finale, Nandor, Guillermo and Nadja left Staten Island to go their separate ways while Laszlo stayed home to care for the creature that clawed its way out of the chest cavity of the deceased Colin Robinson — aka Baby Colin. This season, the vampires return to Staten Island to find their mansion on the verge of total structural collapse — and with no money to repair it. While Nandor’s eternal search for love finally yields results, Nadja finally realizes her dream of opening the hottest vampire nightclub in the Tri-State Area. Laszlo struggles with the question of nature versus nurture as he tries raising Baby Colin to be anything other than an energy vampire. And even Guillermo finds himself on a powerful emotional track that touches on his love for his family, and for others.

With such terrifying locations as the secret supernatural Night Market, the Jersey Pine Barrens and a wedding altar, and with more strange beasts, surprising guest stars and tap dancing than ever, season four of What We Do in the Shadows continues to make the case for blood and comedy. And this time with just a touch of home renovation.

Follow What We Do in the Shadows at: 

Facebook – www.facebook.com/TheShadowsFX/

Instagram – www.instagram.com/TheShadowsFX/

Twitter – www.Twitter.com/TheShadowsFX

https://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/what-we-do-in-the-shadows

 

Tales of the Walking Dead Coming In August - First-Look Photos

Olivia Munn and Terry Crews in Tales of the Walking Dead. Photo by Curtis Bonds Baker and copyright of AMC.

The highly anticipated new episodic anthology series Tales of the Walking Dead, the latest series within the expanding The Walking Dead Universe, will premiere Sunday, August 14 at 9pm ET/8c on AMC and AMC+, with the first two episodes streaming that same night on AMC+. Subsequent episodes will stream one week early, beginning Sunday, August 21.

Anthony Edwards as Dr. Everett. Photo by Curtis Bonds Baker and copyright of AMC.

Samantha Morton as Dee. Photo by Curtis Bonds Baker and copyright of AMC.

Tales of the Walking Dead consists of six original one-hour standalone episodes focused on both new and established characters within the walker apocalypse.  Each episode has its own distinct tone and point of view -- but the stakes are high in each story, pushing new, indelible characters with relentless, life-threatening choices and situations.  We get to see the apocalypse through different eyes, discovering more worlds, mythos, and mysteries of the Walking Dead.

Jessie T. Usher as Davon. Photo by Curtis Bonds Baker and copyright of AMC.

Gillian Bell as Gina and Parker Posey as Blair. Photo by Curtis Bonds Baker and copyright of AMC.

Tales of the Walking Dead stars Olivia Munn (The Newsroom, X-Men: Apocalypse, Six), Samantha Morton (The Walking Dead, Harlots), Terry Crews (Brooklyn Nine-Nine), Parker Posey (Lost In Space), Anthony Edwards (Inventing Anna, WeCrashed), Poppy Liu (Dead Ringers), Jillian Bell (Rough Night), Loan Chabanol (Fading Gigolo), Embeth Davidtz (Old, Ray Donovan) Jessie T. Usher (Shaft, The Boys), Daniella Pineda (Cowboy Bebop), Danny Ramirez (Top Gun: Maverick), amongst others.

Poppy Liu as Amy. Photo by Curtis Bonds Baker and copyright of AMC.

Daniella Pineda as Idalia and Danny Ramirez as Eric. Photo by Curtis Bonds Baker and copyright of AMC.

Haifaa al-Mansour (Good Lord Bird, Motherland), Deborah Kampmeier (Star Trek: Picard) and Ron Underwood (Fear the Walking Dead, Big Shot) will each direct one episode with series producer Michael Satrazemis (The Walking Dead, Fear the Walking Dead) set to direct three episodes. Produced by AMC Studios, Tales of the Walking Dead is executive produced by Scott M. Gimple, chief content officer of The Walking Dead universe and showrunner Channing Powell, who has been a writer and producer on The Walking Dead and Fear the Walking Dead.

Outlaws - Season Two First-Look Photos Released (Prime Video)

Christopher Walken in The Outlaws. All photos courtesy/copyright of Prime Video.

Today, Prime Video announced that season two of The Outlaws will premiere on Friday, August 5th. They also released first-look images for the witty and critically acclaimed comedy thriller from award-winning writer and director Stephen Merchant (The Office) and Elgin James (Mayans M.C., Lowriders). All six episodes of the Amazon Original series will premiere on Prime Video in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Nordic countries.

The Outlaws is a comedy thriller about a disparate group of lawbreakers thrown together to complete a community service sentence. Seven strangers from different walks of life are forced to work together to renovate a derelict community center. When one of their number gets dragged into a dangerous world of organized crime, they unite in ways none of them thought possible. Picking up a few months after the climax of Season One, in Season Two, the Outlaws still have time to serve on their sentences, but quickly realize the criminal underworld isn’t done with them yet—not by a long shot. This ragtag group of misfits’ shared past comes back to haunt them, in the shape of a terrifying London drug lord out for blood—The Dean.

The series stars Rhianne Barreto (Hanna, Dixi) as Rani, Gamba Cole (Hanna, Guerrilla) as Ben, Stephen Merchant as Greg, Christopher Walken (Severance, The Deer Hunter) as Frank, Eleanor Tomlinson (Poldark, The Nevers) as Lady Gabby, Darren Boyd (Trying, Fortitude) as John, Clare Perkins (The Wheel of Time, Suspicion) as Myrna, and Jessica Gunning (Back, Fortitude) as Diane.

The Outlaws is a Big Talk and Four Eyes production co-created by Stephen Merchant—who also serves as an executive producer, director, and writer—and Elgin James. Luke Alkin, Kenton Allen, and Matthew Justice also serve as executive producers for Big Talk. The Outlaws is co-produced by BBC One and Amazon Studios. Global distribution is handled by BBC Studios. The pickup of the show’s second season was announced in November.

Moonhaven - First Look Photos (AMC+)

Joe Manganiello as Tomm Schultz in Moonhaven. All photos courtesy/copyright of AMC.

AMC+ today released first look photos of the upcoming suspense thriller, Moonhaven, from creator Peter Ocko (Lodge 49, Black Sails, Elementary). The series is set in a utopian colony on the moon that may hold the keys to preserving life on Earth, which has become increasingly perilous, and features an acclaimed ensemble cast including Emma McDonald (Queens of Mystery), Dominic Monaghan (Lost) Amara Karan (Doctor Who), Ayelet Zurer (Losing Alice), Joe Manganiello (True Blood), Kadeem Hardison (Black Monday), and Yazzmin Newell (The Last Tree). The first two episodes of the series will debut Thursday, July 7th exclusively on AMC+ with additional episodes dropping Thursdays, weekly.   

Moonhaven centers on Bella Sway (McDonald), a lunar cargo pilot and smuggler 100 years in the future who finds herself accused of a crime and marooned on Moonhaven, a utopian community set on a 500 square mile Garden of Eden built on the Moon to find solutions to the problems that will soon end civilization on Mother Earth. A skeptic in Paradise, Bella is sucked into a conspiracy to gain control of the artificial intelligence responsible for Moonhaven's miracles and teams with a local detective to stop the forces that want to destroy Earth's last hope before they are destroyed themselves.

An AMC Studios production, Moonhaven is executive produced by Ocko and Deb Spera, who is a non-writing executive producer.  

Emmy-Award Winning Todd Masters To Receive 2022 "Fright-Time" Lifetime Achievement Award

Todd Masters. Photo courtesy/copyright of MASTERSFX.

Three-time Emmy Award winning Character FX Artist Todd Masters has been tapped to receive the 2022 “Fright-Time” Award for Lifetime Achievement -- as one of Hollywood’s premiere Monster Makers – during an evening ceremony June 4th at the Monsterpalooza Convention in Pasadena, CA. Masters is the Founder, President - and “Chief Monster-Maker” – behind MASTERSFX (MFX), one of the entertainment industry’s top Character & Special FX studios. MFX is currently celebrating its 35th Anniversary this year.

Masters’ film career spans more than 43 years – he started working as a young teenager in the FX industry making monsters on genre blockbusters such as Big Trouble in Little China, Night of The Creeps, Looks Who’s Talking and the original Predator.

During the early part of his career in the 1980’s, Masters spent many years working in So. California’s creature shops. During this era, he began developing his artform before expanding it into what the renowned MastersFX Studio has become today. “Those of us in this field all stand on the shoulders of the FX giants that came before us: people like Ray Harryhausen, Jim Danforth, Dick Smith, Rick Baker, Lon Chaney, Stan Winston, Tom Burman, Craig Reardon, Chris Walas, and many, many others who taught us this unique art. Many of the artists I’ve worked with over the years have exceedingly evolved this art, all while remaining good friends of mine. We’ve all spent decades developing this truly unique entertainment industry artform.”

Matt Ninaber as Psycho Goreman with Nita-Josee Hanna and Owen Myre. Photo courtesy/copyright of MASTERSFX.

In addition to his three Emmy Award wins, Masters has also won: a Cable Ace Award, a Saturn Award, eight Leo Awards, a Gemini Award, a Screamfest Award, and most recently, a Fangoria Magazine 2022 Chainsaw Award, as well as several other accolades over the years in his role as a director and producer.

Regarding his 2022 award from Monsterpalooza, Masters says, “It’s a true honor to receive this Lifetime Achieve Award – especially since many of our MastersFX teammates and alumni -- as well as numerous of my Monster-Maker colleagues, fellow FX Studio owners and good friends – will be in attendance. I like to consider the people in the Special/Character/Makeup FX industry my extended family. In the sincerest sense, we’re ALL ‘Masters’ of our craft!”

“Monsterpalooza is the pre-eminent monster fan convention on the planet,” Masters declares, “while also serving as the creative center of the professional Monster-Maker universe.”

Monsterpalooza 2022 will be held June 3-5, 2022, at the Pasadena Convention Center -- and it will spotlight an inside look at some of MastersFX’s work via two panels:

MFX Artist Steve Kostanski works on Psycho Goreman costumes. Photo courtesy/copyright of MASTERSFX.

FIRST -- On Saturday, June 4 at 3 PM: The multi-award-winning, cult-hit PG: Psycho Goreman will be screened in the Monsterpalooza theater auditorium. The screening will be followed by a Q&A session with the film’s writer/creator/director, Steven Kostanski, (who is also an MFX/Toronto FX Artist.) Joining Kostanski will be Zane Knisely (Supervisor at MastersFX/Toronto Studio) and Graham Chivers (MFX Toronto Prosthetics Artist.) Todd Masters himself, will serve as MC of the Q&A session. On Saturday evening, June 4th beginning at 7:30 PM: A special guest star will present the 2022 “Fright-Time” Achievement Award to Masters. Following the award presentation, Monsterpalooza will host a party to celebrate the 35th Anniversary of MastersFX.

On Sunday, June 5, at 1:30 PM: A panel entitled The Making of Tales From the Crypt: Demon Knight will begin. The session will highlight MFX’s work featured in that 1995 classic monster-movie. This panel will be comprised of Masters, actors Billy Zane and Charles Fleischer, and the film’s director, Ernest Dickerson.

Also, throughout the entire weekend of Monsterpalooza, a number of iconic props and FX memorabilia - created over the years by the MastersFX team - will be on display, inside the renowned Monsterpalooza Museum. These items will include: a “Demon” from Demon Knight; the leading character from the film Psycho Goreman (in Cowboy attire,) and other characters from that hit film. In addition, some of the other FX items created by the MastersFX team which will be on exhibit include items from the TV series Day of the Dead and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow. The legendary Monsterpalooza Museum is a must-see, and annually features full-sized creatures, hyper-realistic sculptures, screen-used props and animatronics from many popular horror films. The museum also debuts various new horrific creations from the world’s most elite Monster FX Studios.

“I’m still in a bit of shock by how well the 2022 Monsterpalooza team is treating lil ol’ us, this year,” Masters concedes. “The tremendous producers of this convention have really turned this year’s Monsterpalooza into a veritable ‘MASTERS-Palooza’! I am sincerely humbled by the outpouring of support and love from them, and from so many other artists within our industry. The entire Monsterpalooza event brings a sharp-focus into the Art of Monster-Making, for both professionals as well as for collectors. The annual event is a must-see for classic monster fans and newcomers. After a few years off due to the pandemic, I’m so glad that Monsterpalooza is back, bigger and scarier than ever!”

ABOUT MASTERSFX: Founded in 1987 by three-time Emmy Award winner Todd Masters, MASTERSFX (MFX) is a multi-award-winning character and makeup FX company. MASTERSFX's creative teams produce a distinctive blend of practical and digital makeup FX, prosthetics and animatronics, through a process called “dMFX,” for hundreds of hit feature films, TV shows, and commercials, since 1987. Included among the TV projects to which MASTERSFX has contributed its work are Handmaid’s Tale, The Magicians, The Good Doctor, The Umbrella Academy, The Expanse, Coroner, The Boys, The Flash, This is Us, What We Do in the Shadows, True Blood, Six Feet Under, Tales from the Crypt, Fringe, and many others.

Among the company's film credits are Child’s Play, Sonic the Hedgehog, the 2019 version of Rabid, The Day the Earth Stood Still, The Haunting in Connecticut, Star Trek: First Contact, The Horse Whisperer, Slither, Snakes on a Plane, Look Who's Talking, and many more.

Makeup and special FX artist Todd Masters is the winner of the 2021 Daytime Emmy Award for “Outstanding Special Effects Costumes, Makeup” for his work on the Universal Studios/1440 produced TV movie Aliens Stole My Body, the second entry in the young-adult, fantasy/sci-fi book series Aliens Ate My Homework by Bruce Coville. Masters is also the winner of a 2016 Daytime Emmy and Leo Awards for “Outstanding Makeup” for the Netflix series, Monsterville. He is the winner of an Emmy Award in 2003 for the 2001/2002 Season ofSix Feet Under in the category "Best Special Effects Makeup." And, in 2006, Masters won a "Saturn Award" for "Best Makeup FX" for his work on the film Slither.