Decoding Deceptive Design With “Presumed Innocent” Production Designer John Paino & Set Decorator Amy Wells
In part one of our conversation about David E. Kelley’s rigorously intense and captivating courtroom drama, Presumed Innocent, production designer John Paino and set decorator Amy Wells talked about the elaborate courtroom set and what it was like to shoot the Chicago-set series entirely in Southern California.
Thanks to Jake Gyllenhaal’s nuanced, Emmy-nominated performance, Rusty’s culpability on the grisly murder of his fellow prosecutor and lover,
From Chaos to Culture: How “The Bear” Effect is Having a Real Impact on Chicago’s Restaurant Scene
FX’s The Bear has only grown hotter each season, and not just in the kitchen. Since its debut in 2022, the series has captivated audiences with its emotionally raw portrayal of life inside a restaurant.
In season one, we followed Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White), a young fine-dining chef who returns to Chicago to run his late brother’s struggling sandwich shop. With clashing personalities and mounting debt, the audience is thrown into the kitchen and witnesses how Carmy transforms both the restaurant and himself.
“Jurassic World: Rebirth” Production Designer James Clyne on Creating Killer Labs and Animalistic Architecture
Production designer James Clyne recreates and modernizes the dinosaur playground gone wrong that first blew our minds in Steven Spielberg‘s 1993 classic Jurassic Park. Back then, that playground—or theme park, to be more accurate—was the brainchild of John Hammond (Richard Attenborough), and like all children, it had a mind and personality of its own, determined to become something other than its parents’ fervent wish. In Jurassic World: Rebirth,
“Minted” Director Nicholas Bruckman on Spending Two Years Following Digital Artists Through NFT Heaven & Hell
Nicholas Bruckman has built a distinctive career that bridges documentary filmmaking with commercial storytelling, following his instincts and his passions on projects big and small. The New York-based director has participated in prestigious labs, including the Rotterdam Producers Lab and the IFP Cannes Producers Fellowship, and the Sloan Foundation, Cinereach, and other notable organizations support his work. Through his company People’s Television, he regularly produces branded films for major clients including Airbnb,
How “Presumed Innocent” Production Designer John Paino & Set Decorator Amy Wells Brought Chicago to Los Angeles
Shot mostly in Pasadena and around Los Angeles, Presumed Innocent, showrunner David E. Kelley’s twisty and riveting courtroom psychological thriller, was able to do so largely thanks to the $12 million in California tax incentives allocated to the prestige drama from Apple TV+. “The crew we have here is the best I’ve worked with all over the world. They’re an incredible bunch of people; you’re only as good as the people you surround yourself with,” production designer John Paino says,
Remembering Malcolm-Jamal Warner: Questlove, Magic Johnson, Tracee Ellis Ross & More Share Their Heartbreak
The news that Malcolm-Jamal Warner passed away on Sunday sent shockwaves through the entertainment industry and the world at large, as millions of people who watched—and adored—Warner through eight seasons of The Cosby Show and followed his career after were deeply affected. Warner died in an accidental drowning in Costa Rica, the Costa Rican National Police told media outlets. He was 54.
The reaction from those who knew him and those who grew up watching him was swift.
“Eddington” Writer/Director Ari Aster on Bringing His Pandemic-Era Neo-Western Thriller Home to New Mexico
Writer/director Ari Aster broke new ground with Eddington in that it’s the first of his films to be shot where it was intended to be set. Both happen to be in his native state of New Mexico, where production created over 300 jobs.
Set in 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the neo-Western satirical black comedy reunites him with his Beau Is Afraid lead,
Marvel Boss Kevin Feige Talks “Fantastic Four,” Recasting a New Tony Stark, Rebooting the X-Men, & More
Marvel super producer Kevin Feige invited select journalists to a conference room at Marvel Studios and revealed more in a single sitting than you often get from someone with the keys to a kingdom as vast as Marvel over the course of a full year.
Sitting in the same room where so many big-time introductions and pitch meetings have occurred, Feige regaled his company with his thoughts on the state of the superhero movie industry,
“Smurfs”: Rihanna & Henry Jackman Join Forces for a Score That’s Weird, Wonderful, and a Total Bop
When news first broke that Rihanna would not only voice Smurfette but also produce the upcoming Smurfs movie and contribute original music, fans were immediately intrigued. The announcement practically created a new kind of internet hype: “Rihanna is Smurfette” became its own meme moment, and rightfully so. But as the film’s July 18, 2025 release approaches, it’s becoming clear that Rihanna’s involvement goes far beyond novelty — and when paired with composer Henry Jackman,
Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” Breaks New Ground: 70MM IMAX Tickets Available Now for 2026 Release
In an unprecedented move, tickets for Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey are already on sale—a year ahead of the movie’s release date.
Nolan’s upcoming adaptation of Homer’s epic isn’t due in theaters until July 17, 2026. Advanced tickets are already on sale for IMAX theaters capable of screening the film in Nolan’s preferred 70mm. This appears to be the first time in movie history that tickets for a film have been made available a year before its release.
Lindsay Lohan & Jamie Lee Curtis Return as “Freakier Friday” Expands the Body-Swap Chaos
This summer, Disney will release a sequel to 2003’s Freaky Friday, which starred Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis as a mother and daughter whose bodies get switched as a punishment until they learn to love one another selflessly. Much to the first movie’s Millennial fan base’s approval, Freakier Friday, directed by Nisha Ganatra, recast Lohan, Curtis, as well as the movie’s original heartthrob, Jake, played by Chad Michael Murray.
“The Diplomat” Creator Debora Cahn on Refusing to Write Easy Villains in a World of Hard Choices
For Deborah Cahn, the journey from The West Wing to Netflix’s The Diplomat began with a simple encounter that revealed the extraordinary lives hidden within the foreign service. The former West Wing writer spent years cultivating relationships with real diplomats, ambassadors, and State Department officials, learning first-hand how complex the world of international politics was, and how much it demanded of the individuals who dedicated their lives to it.
77th Emmy Nominations Announced
The nominations for 77th Primetime Emmy Awards have arrived. The nominations were presented by “What We Do in the Shadows” actor Harvey Guillén and “Running Point” star Brenda Song on Tuesday morning.
The Pitt, Severance, and Andor were just a few nominated for Best Drama Series while Abbott Elementary, Hacks, and newcomer The Studio will vie for comedy’s top prize.
“Part Debate Club and Part Therapy”: Inside “The Pitt” Writers’ Room With Cynthia Adarkwa & Valerie Chu
HBO’s The Pitt emerged as one of television’s most gripping medical dramas in years by doing something deceptively simple yet extraordinarily difficult: following a single, brutal 15-hour shift in a Pittsburgh emergency room in real time. What made the series so compelling wasn’t just its relentless intensity or unflinching medical realism (the “floating face” fracture in episode 2 will haunt my dreams), but how writers like Valerie Chu and Cynthia Adarkwa managed to weave deeply human character arcs through the chaos of trauma bays and life-or-death decisions.
Hooked Again: Revisiting the Legacy of “I Know What You Did Last Summer”
Warning: This article contains spoilers for the 1997 original movie
Before the reboot of I Know What You Did Last Summer slashes its way onto screens on July 18th, let’s rewind to the mid-1990s — a time of landlines, low-rise jeans, and uninspired, formulaic follow-ups featuring familiar horror faces. Upon its release in October 1997, I Know What You Did Last Summer wasn’t just a hit;
Dressing Despair in Paradise With “The White Lotus” Costume Designer Alex Bovaird
The White Lotus costume designer Alex Bovaird, along with creator Mike White, wanted to make season three of the HBO show bigger and bolder than ever. Although it’s a longer season with more characters and more narrative complexity, for Bovaird, it still always comes down to researching reality and bending it from there.
Every season of The White Lotus has seen characters attempt to escape their own reality by descending upon another culture and failing to let go,
“I Know What You Did Last Summer” Director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson on Hooking a New Generation
“There’s a lot of sh*t that can get ruined on the internet in this movie, so I really do encourage people to see it as soon as possible,” director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson tells The Credits of her film I Know What You Did Last Summer, which carves its way into theaters July 18.
Robinson, 37, a Miami native now living in Los Angeles, has plenty to share,
From Maya Files to Magic: How Hollywood Creatives Help Build Epic Universe’s Immersive Worlds
Almost a decade in the making, Epic Universe at Universal Orlando Resort in Florida is a groundbreaking theme park that highlights the shared DNA between filmmaking, attractions, and immersive real-world experiences, taking audiences and guests on a cinematic journey.
Three of the five worlds that make up Epic Universe are born out of IPs that have graced both the big and small screens, namely The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic,
How “Nobody Wants This” Creator Erin Foster Finally Found Success Writing About Herself
After 15 years of chasing what television networks wanted—workplace comedies, procedurals, whatever was trending—actress and writer Erin Foster had almost given up on her writing career.
“I had a lot of setbacks as a writer,” Foster says. “Some of those were like, ‘You’re not a good joke writer’ and ‘You write things that feel sort of like a play—it’s just people talking and there’s not enough plot.’ So there were a lot of times that I really second-guessed what path I was going to go down.”
Playing a Flush Hand: Inside “Poker Face” Season 2 With Producer/Director Adam Arkin
Few people in Hollywood have had as rich and varied a career as Adam Arkin. With decades of experience both in front of and behind the camera—from his breakthrough role in Northern Exposure to acclaimed directing work on series like The Americans, Justified, Sons of Anarchy, Fargo, Succession, and The Night Agent—Arkin brings decades of experience both in front and behind the camera to every project he tackles.