Early Reactions to “WandaVision” Call Marvel’s First Disney+ Series a Game Changer
The early reactions to WandaVision have been pouring in since Disney and Marvel made the first three episodes available to critics. If you were curious about Marvel’s very different-seeming take on its superpowered romantic couple living in a bizarro-world of evolving sitcoms, prepare to have that curiosity piqued tenfold.
For the uninitiated, WandaVision posits a world in which Vision (Paul Bettany) is somehow alive (you’ll recall he was killed by Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War) and living with his paramour,
“Sex and the City” Spinoff “And Just Like That” Coming to HBO Max
Carrie, Charlotte, and Miranda are back! Original Sex and the City stars Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristin Davis, and Cynthia Nixon are returning to the roles they made them stars in a big-time announcement this past Sunday. The news came via Sarah Jessica Parker’s Instagram page, with this perfectly succinct post:
View this post on InstagramA brand new,
Here’s How They Kept “The Mandalorian” Finale’s Epic Surprise a Secret
If you haven’t finished watching The Mandalorian‘s sophomore season, you need to stop reading as a massive spoiler lies ahead.
Okay, so we all watched that epic surprise cameo in The Mandalorian finale. If you’re anything like us, you had two simultaneous reactions—delighted surprise mixed together with shame at having not seen it coming the whole time. And that feeling, folks, is what makes a great twist—surprise plus a sense of inevitability.
Every Marvel Film & TV Series You’ll See in 2021
Remember when 2021 was supposed to wash the taste of 2020 out of our collective mouths? Yeah, well, it’s not going so well thus far. But, the year is young and one can hope (one must hope) that things will turn around. We look to the film and TV calendar and dream of enjoying these titles in a calmer, saner, and hopefully healthier environment. To that end, here’s a list for all your Marvel fans on what you can expect to see this year.
Watch the First Bewitching Clip From “WandaVision”
We’ve been gearing up for WandaVision, Marvel’s first Disney+ series, for what feels like decades at this point. But at long last, with the series set to premiere on January 15, we’ve got our first actual clip, thanks to star Elizabeth Olsen’s appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live on Tuesday night. Olsen offered the sneak peek of the deliciously oddball confection, which posits a world in which Wanda Maximoff (Olsen) and a somehow resurrected Vision (Paul Bettany) are living in a sitcom suburban idyll that harkens back to the Golden Age of TV (think floral wallpaper,
HBO Max Reveals New Trailers for “Locked Down” and “Search Party”
HBO Max has just released two fresh trailers for two of their early 2021 offerings. In Locked Down, you’ve got Anne Hathaway’s Linda and Chiwetel Ejiofor’s Paxton finally deciding that it’s time to separate, only to have the pandemic force them together. While this sounds like the making of a Love in the Time of Corona-type of story (and it sort of is), it’s also a heist flick.
Translating the Untranslatable: The Impossible Art of Subtitling “Taco Chronicles”
Subtitle translation is a fascinating, complicated, and often overlooked part of the filmmaking process. It’s a delicate dance of literal translation and cultural interpretation, all the while practicing a serious economy of words. Most subtitles are capped at only forty-four characters (less than this sentence). Plus, the eye reads much slower than the ear hears.
My own up-close experience with the art form came with Netflix’s Taco Chronicles (Las Crónicas del Taco),
A New “WandaVision” Trailer Highlights 2021’s First Must-See Series
A new year is upon us, and while it doesn’t yet feel all that different from 2020—what with the pandemic, the election still going, etcetera, etcetera—one bit of proof we truly have entered 2021 is that we’re a mere two weeks away from WandaVision‘s premiere on Disney+. WandaVision will be the first Marvel series to make it to air since the pandemic upended production schedules and release dates,
Showrunner Benjamin Cavell on Remaking Stephen King’s Beloved Dark Fantasy “The Stand”
Stephen King’s The Stand, published in 1978, has eerily stood the test of time. The epic masterpiece follows the struggle between good and evil and is set against a backdrop of an apocalyptic plague called Captain Trips that has taken countless lives worldwide. The novel has been read by millions and was adapted for a four-part television series back in 1994.
Now, with showrunner, co-creator and executive producer Benjamin Cavell (Justified,
Best of 2020: “Lovecraft Country” DP Michael Watson on Lensing HBO’s Multi-Genre Hit Series
We put together our annual “Best Of” list with an eye towards the conversations that weren’t just about our particular area of interest—how films and TV shows are made and the people who make them—but delved into broader discussions that were unavoidable in this historic, often heartbreaking year. These conversations include our chat with Laverne Cox about her role in Netflix’s Disclosure: Trans Lives on Screen, Lovecraft Country cinematographer Michael Watson on filming during a pandemic,
Best of 2020: DP Greig Fraser on Harnessing Cutting-Edge Tech in “The Mandalorian”
We put together our annual “Best Of” list with an eye towards the conversations that weren’t just about our particular area of interest—how films and TV shows are made and the people who make them—but delved into broader discussions that were unavoidable in this historic, often heartbreaking year. These conversations include our chat with Laverne Cox about her role in Netflix’s Disclosure: Trans Lives on Screen, Lovecraft Country cinematographer Michael Watson on filming during a pandemic,
Best of 2020: A Conversation With Laverne Cox
We put together our annual “Best Of” list with an eye towards the conversations that weren’t just about our particular area of interest—how films and TV shows are made and the people who make them—but delved into broader discussions that were unavoidable in this historic, often heartbreaking year. These conversations include our chat with Laverne Cox about her role in Netflix’s Disclosure: Trans Lives on Screen, Lovecraft Country cinematographer Michael Watson on filming during a pandemic,
Best of 2020: Meet the Background Actors Who Populate HBO’s “Perry Mason” – Part I
We put together our annual “Best Of” list with an eye towards the conversations that weren’t just about our particular area of interest—how films and TV shows are made and the people who make them—but delved into broader discussions that were unavoidable in this historic, often heartbreaking year. These conversations include our chat with Laverne Cox about her role in Netflix’s Disclosure: Trans Lives on Screen, Lovecraft Country cinematographer Michael Watson on filming during a pandemic,
Showrunner Chris Van Dusen on Creating a Modern Regency Romance in “Bridgerton”
Buckle up for Christmas Day, when Bridgerton, a romance set in England’s 19th century Regency era, debuts on Netflix. Shonda Rhimes’ first executive-produced series for the streaming service, this bright, sexy show reimagines a casually multiracial society set in a horse-drawn world of candy-colored palaces, sybaritic balls, and aristocracy on display.
Bridgerton was shot on location at storied homes like Lancaster House, where Queen Elizabeth II still holds royal functions,
The Sustainable Production Alliance: Celebrating the Green Production Guide’s 10-Year Anniversary
As issues of climate change continue to be front and center in every aspect of our lives, many areas of business and industry are investigating new ways in which they can mitigate their carbon footprint and become more engaged in policies that are centered on responsibility toward climate change.
Fortunately, the entertainment industry has been at the forefront of this issue for many years – in fact, a full decade! – and has consistently demonstrated its commitment to sustainability.
“The Mandalorian” Spinoff “The Book of Boba Fett” Coming to Disney+
If you’re like many, many other folks you watched the season 2 finale of The Mandalorian this past Friday and were left with this very intriguing, if slightly confusing tease—”The Book of Boba Fett Coming December 2021.” Trying to absorb all that had just happened in The Mandalorian‘s finale, you’d be forgiven if you assumed The Book of Boba Fett was what The Mandalorian‘s 3rd season was titled.
Madison Hamburg on His One-Of-A-Kind HBO Doc “Murder on Middle Beach”
As the title suggests, Murder on Middle Beach, the four-part HBO documentary, revolves around a tragedy. On March 3, 2010, Barbara Hamburg was found stabbed to death outside her home in Madison, Connecticut, an unassuming beachfront town. An unlikely victim, police were unable to find a suspect. But what makes this unsolved murder story even more compelling is that it is being told by Madison Hamburg, Barbara’s son.
Madison was 18 years old at the time and a film student in college.
Costume Designer Cat Thomas on the Couture of “The Flight Attendant”
At the beginning of the HBO miniseries The Flight Attendant, based on Chris Bohjalian’s novel, Cassie (Kaley Cuoco) is a put-together first class flight attendant by day, maximalist reveler by night. She parties relentlessly wherever she lands, seemingly enjoying an endless montage of karaoke, clubs, bars, and hookups. But Cassie also encapsulates a particular sort of overgrown New York party drunk, one who’s getting a little long in the tooth for these sorts of hijinks.
Cinematographer Oliver Bokelberg on Transforming Vancouver Into Montana in “Big Sky”
This article contains light spoilers for previously aired episodes.
Big Sky, David E. Kelley’s new ratings hit for ABC, which was just picked up for another six episodes, juxtaposes Montana’s sweeping vistas with the bleak interior of a locked away trailer, where an unlikely criminal duo is holding three teenaged girls. Based on C.J. Box’s novel “The Highway,” the crime drama sets viewers up with stunning aerial shots of rural Montana before zooming in on run-down bars,
Matt Smith & Olivia Cooke Join “Game of Thrones” Prequel “House of the Dragon”
Two very good actors have joined HBO’s Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon. Matt Smith, so excellent as Prince Phillip on The Crown and the Doctor in Doctor Who joins Ready Player One‘s Olivia Cooke as the newest cast members. The prequel will explore the fall of the Targaryen empire long before Daenerys arrived on the scene to (briefly) restore it. Smith and Cooke join The Outsider‘s Paddy Considine and Truth Seeker’s Emma D’Arcy on this trip back to Westeros.