SciFiAndTvTalk

Trigger Point - Season Two Coming To The U.S. In September! (BritBox)

From Jed Mercurio’s HTM Television comes Trigger Point. This high octane, critically-acclaimed, ratings-winning thriller returns in September to BritBox. The second series starts a year on from the Crusader’s attacks. Lana Washington (Vicky McClure) has returned to EXPO after helping train bomb disposal teams in Ukraine. While she’s back and giving a corporate talk on bomb disposal, a series of devices are used to attack a power station causing widespread chaos, signaling the start of a new and active threat. Lana works with MI5 and Counter Terrorism to uncover a wide but loosely connected terrorist cell, led by an anonymous leader and bound by their belief in anti- state conspiracy theories. Lana is pushed to her limits as she goes undercover, attempting to unmask the figurehead of the paranoid, delusional cell before they cause total devastation.

Trigger Point stars Vicky McClure, Eric Shango, Nabil Elouahabi, Kerry Godliman, and Mark Stanley. Created by Daniel Brierley, the series is executive produced by Jed Mercurio, Mark Redhead and Jessica Sharkey, with Gilles Bannier and Jennie Darnell directing.

Martin Freeman Stars In The Responder - Season Two Coming To The U.S. In July (BritBox)

Premiering July 11th on BritBox, season two of The Responde sees Martin Freeman return to his dark, gritty best. The new series picks up six months after the last one left off. Carson is busy trying to better himself as a police officer and as a father to his daughter, Tilly (Romi Hyland-Rylands). However, the recurrent trauma of the night officer beat continues. And, in an effort to finally free himself, he seeks a day job. Meanwhile, having been dragged into the mud by her partner, Rachel (Adelayo Adedayo) is attempting to rebuild her life. She begins the season furious with Chris, but, after going on to work with a sequence of ‘normal’ coppers, finds that she has more in common with her former partner than she’s perhaps willing to admit. Check out the trailer below!

Created by Tony Schmacher, The Responder stars Martin Freeman, Adelayo Adedayo, MyAnna Buring, Ian Hart and Romi Hyland-Rylands. The series is executive produced by Chris Carey, Laurence Bowen, Toby Bruce (Dancing Ledge Productions), and Rebecca Ferguson (BBC), with Barrington Robinson and Nadia Jaynes serving as producers. Directors include Jeanette Nordahl, Mounia Aki and Charlotte Regan. The Responder is produced/distributed in partnership with Fremantle and Dancing Ledge Productions.

The Walking Dead: Dead City - Behind The Scenes Look At Season Two Production (AMC/AMC+)

AMC Networks released a behind-the-scenes look at production on the second season of The Walking Dead: Dead City, premiering in 2025 on AMC and AMC+. The hit series in the Walking Dead Universe stars Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Lauren Cohan as the fan-favorite characters “Negan” and “Maggie.” Check out the video below!

The Walking Dead: Dead City follows the popular Maggie (Cohan) and Negan (Morgan) characters traveling into a post-apocalyptic Manhattan, long ago cut off from the mainland. The crumbling city is filled with the dead and denizens who have made New York City their own world full of anarchy, danger, beauty, and terror. In season two, in the growing war for control of Manhattan, Maggie and Negan find themselves trapped on opposite sides. As their paths intertwine, they come to see that the way out for both is more complicated and harrowing than they ever imagined.

The series also stars Gaius Charles, Željko Ivanek, Mahina Anne Marie Napoleon, Lisa Emery, Logan Kim and Kim Coates, amongst others. Eli Jorné, who has been a writer and co-executive producer on The Walking Dead for multiple seasons serves as showrunner and executive producer on the series, along with Scott M. Gimple, chief content officer of The Walking Dead universe, Cohan, Morgan, Brian Bockrath, Michael Satrazemis and Colin Walsh.

Blue Lights - Season Two Has Its U.S. Premiere In June (BritBox)

It's "bigger, bolder and more dramatic." Blue Lights returns to BritBox for a second season on June 13th with two episodes per week. The series is an authentic, gripping and darkly funny drama about ordinary people doing an extraordinary job in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Grace (Sian Brooke), Annie (Katherine Devlin) and Tommy (Nathan Braniff) are growing up fast as police officers, but nothing can prepare them for the turmoil they face every day. It’s a year since the fall of the McIntyre crime gang and the vacuum has been filled by rival gangs, all competing for dominance. Constable Shane Bradley (Frank Blake) is drafted in to help, but his motivations are unclear. Tommy is dangerously seduced by the world of intelligence policing, while Grace struggles to deal with her son’s absence, and growing feelings for fellow officer Stevie (Martin McCann). As a young military veteran turned gang leader threatens to take over the city, the officers face a major gangland feud – culminating in a violent and devastating confrontation. Check out the trailer below.

Blue Lights stars Nathan Braniff, Sian Brooke, Martin McCann, Katherine Devlin and Frank Blake. The series was co-created by Declan Lawn (Head Co-Writer, Executive Producer and Director) and Adam Patterson (Head Co-Writer, Executive Producer and Director), with Louise Gallagher (Gallagher Films) and Stephen Wright (Two Cities Television), Nick Lambon (BBC), and Heather Larmour (BBC) also serving as executive producers, with Amanda Black as producer. Jack Casey directs episodes 4-6. BBC and BBC Studios are the show's production/distribution partners with support from Northern Ireland Screen.

Dune: Prophecy Coming This Fall - Teaser Released (HBO)

During today’s Warner Bros. Discovery Upfront presentation, Casey Bloys, Chairman and CEO, HBO and Max Content, unveiled a first look teaser of the Max Original drama series Dune: Prophecy. The six-episode season debuts this fall on Max. From the expansive universe of Dune, created by acclaimed author Frank Herbert, and 10,000 years before the ascension of Paul Atreides, Dune: Prophecy follows two Harkonnen sisters as they combat forces that threaten the future of humankind and establish the fabled sect that will become known as the Bene Gesserit. Dune: Prophecy is inspired by the novel Sisterhood of Dune, written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. Check out the teaser below!

Alison Schapker serves as showrunner and executive producer. Diane Ademu-John co-developed the series and serves as executive producer. Anna Foerster executive produced and directed multiple episodes including the first. Jordan Goldberg, Mark Tobey, John Cameron, Matthew King, Scott Z. Burns, and Jon Spaihts executive produce with New York Times bestselling author Brian Herbert, along with Byron Merritt and Kim Herbert as executive producers for the Frank Herbert estate. New York Times bestselling author Kevin J. Anderson serves as co-producer. Dune: Prophecy is co-produced by Max and Legendary Television with Legendary also producing the film franchise that has released two installments to critical acclaim, the first of which garnered six Academy Awards.

The Last Of Us - New Images Released (HBO)

Pedro Pascal as Joel in The Last of Us. Photo courtesy/copyright of HBO.

New images of Pedro Pascal as Joel and Bella Ramsey as Ellie from the second season of the HBO Original drama series The Last Of Us were unveiled on Wednesday, May 15th by Casey Bloys, Chairman and CEO, HBO and Max Content, during the Warner Bros. Discovery Upfront presentation. Following a record-breaking first season as the most-watched debut season of a series ever for HBO, the second season will debut in 2025 on HBO and will be available to stream on Max. 

Based on the critically acclaimed video game The Last of Us, developed by Naughty Dog for the PlayStation consoles, the story takes place twenty years after modern civilization has been destroyed. Joel, a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie, a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone. What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal, heartbreaking journey, as they both must traverse the U.S. and depend on each other for survival.

Bella Ramsey as Ellie in The Last of Us. Photo courtesy/copyright of HBO.

Season two returning cast includes Pedro Pascal as Joel, Bella Ramsey as Ellie, Gabriel Luna as Tommy, and Rutina Wesley as Maria. Previously announced new cast includes Kaitlyn Dever as Abby, Isabela Merced as Dina, Young Mazino as Jesse, Ariela Barer as Mel, Tati Gabrielle as Nora, Spencer Lord as Owen, and Danny Ramirez as Manny. Catherine O’Hara also guest stars.

The Last Of Us is written and executive produced by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann. The series is a co-production with Sony Pictures Television and is also executive produced by Carolyn Strauss, Jacqueline Lesko, Cecil O’Connor, Asad Qizilbash, Carter Swan, and Evan Wells. Production companies: PlayStation Productions, Word Games, The Mighty Mint, and Naughty Dog.

Jack Quaid & Titus Welliver Star In Audible's The Safe Man

The Safe Man from #1 New York Times bestselling author Michael Connelly, debuts Thursday, May 16th on Audible. The riveting detective story, nail-biting heist thriller and supernatural mystery is performed by a full cast starring Jack Quaid and Titus Welliver. When Brian Holloway (Jack Quaid, The Boys) was hired by famous horror author Paul Robinette (Titus Welliver, Bosch) to crack an antique safe in his home, he had no idea what he was about to encounter.

Opening that safe door unleashed something sinister — something that continues to haunt him. But what exactly? And can whatever slipped through that threshold be stopped? Plagued by a series of disturbing supernatural encounters, chilling prophecies, and a criminal investigation into a missing girl, Brian begins to realize that he is inexplicably linked to the eternal, and that he must defy fate if he has any chance of saving the most important person in his life.

Set against the eerie tropics of Florida, The Safe Man reimagines Connelly’s 2012 short story as a pulse-pounding audio drama. This Connelly masterpiece delivers his signature flavor of suspense, and is produced with brilliant sound design for an unforgettable experience. Listen to a clip below!

Audible · The Safe Man - Episode 1 Audio Excerpt 1

The Demon Disorder Starring John Noble Coming To Shudder!

Shudder, AMC Networks’ premium streaming service for horror, thrillers and the supernatural, has announced the acquisition of The Demon Disorder from special effects master Steven Boyle (The Matrix trilogy, The Hobbit trilogy, King Kong). The streamer also released the trailer for the highly anticipated film, which marks Boyle’s feature directorial debut. Starring John Noble (The Lord of the Rings trilogy), Charles Cottier, Christian Willis, and Dirk Hunter, the film will make its exclusive streaming debut on Shudder in Fall 2024. Check out the trailer below! Check out the trailer below (WARNING: some graphic content).

The Australian demonic family drama centers on Graham, a man haunted by his past since the death of his father and the estrangement from his two brothers. Jake, the middle brother, contacts Graham claiming that something is horribly wrong: their youngest brother Phillip is possessed by their deceased father. Graham reluctantly agrees to go and see for himself. With the three brothers back together, they soon realize they are unprepared for the forces against them and learn that the sins of their past will not stay hidden. But how do you defeat a presence that knows you inside and out? An anger so powerful it refuses to stay dead?

“We are thrilled that The Demon Disorder has reached its final resting place with our friends at Shudder,” said Boyle.  “It’s a community and fanbase that we hold in the highest esteem and we couldn’t be happier to be on this journey with them!”

“After years of a creating a range of elaborate visual experiences through his work as a special effects designer on iconic films, we’re thrilled to give Steven Boyle a platform for his feature length directorial debut with The Demon Disorder,” said Samuel Zimmerman, Head of Programming for Shudder.  “Full of impressive body horror that fans have come to expect from this master of effects, Boyle’s film is an engrossing story about breaking generational curses that viewers will find both unsettling and amusing.”

The deal was negotiated by Emily Gotto on behalf of Shudder and James Norrie and Nina Kolokouri at AMP on behalf of the filmmakers.

Written and directed by Boyle, along with Toby Osborne (PINDAM) as writer, THE DEMON DISORDER is produced by Boyle and Ally Muller and executive produced by Michael Spierig and Peter Spierig.

Francis Ford Coppola's Megalopolis Makes Its Official Debut This Month At The 2024 Cannes Film Festival

The official teaser trailer has been released for Frances Ford Coppola's Megalopolis, which makes its world premiere on Thursday, May 16t in competition at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. Check out the teaser below!

Megalopolis is a Roman Epic fable set in an imagined Modern America. The City of New Rome must change, causing conflict between Cesar Catilina (Adam Driver), a genius artist who seeks to leap into a utopian, idealistic future, and his opposition, Mayor Franklyn Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito), who remains committed to a regressive status quo, perpetuating greed, special interests, and partisan warfare.  Torn between them is socialite Julia Cicero (Nathalie Emmanuel), the mayor’s daughter, whose love for Cesar has divided her loyalties, forcing her to discover what she truly believes humanity deserves.

Directed, written and produced by Francis Ford Coppola, Megalopolis stars Adam Driver, Giancarlo Esposito, Nathalie Emmanuel, Aubrey Plaza, Shia LaBeouf, Jon Voight, Laurence Fishburne, Talia Shire, Jason Schwartzman, Kathryn Hunter, Grace VanderWaal, Chloe Fineman, James Remar, D.B. Sweeney, and Dustin Hoffman. An American Zoetrope Production, the film is executive produced by Anahid Nazarian, Barrie Osborne, and Darren Demetre, with Fred Roos, Barry Hirsch, and Michael Bederman serving as producers.

Dune: Part Two Premieres Later This Month (HBO/HBO Max)

Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ Dune: Part Two will make its streaming debut on Max on Tuesday, May 21st. The big-screen epic continues the adaptation of Frank Herbert’s acclaimed bestseller Dune with returning and new stars, including Oscar nominee Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar nominee Josh Brolin, Oscar nominee Austin Butler, Oscar nominee Florence Pugh, Dave Bautista, Oscar winner Christopher Walken, Léa Seydoux, Souheila Yacoub, with Stellan Skarsgård, Oscar nominee Charlotte Rampling, and Oscar winner Javier Bardem. 

Dune: Part Two explores the mythic journey of Paul Atreides as he unites with Chani and the Fremen while on a path of revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the known universe, he endeavors to prevent a terrible future only he can foresee. 

Directed by Denis Villeneuve from a screenplay he and Jon Spaihts wrote based on Frank Herbert’s celebrated novel Dune;Dune: Part Two is produced by Mary Parent, Cale Boyter, Patrick McCormick, Villeneuve and Tanya Lapointe; executive produced by Joshua Grode, Jon Spaihts, Thomas Tull, Herbert W. Gains, Brian Herbert, Byron Merritt, Kim Herbert, Richard P. Rubinstein and John Harrison.