Category Archives: Image cache

‘The Walking Dead’ companion series gets two season order from AMC

Image cache, News, Television, , , , ,

I’ve got an update on the shrouded-in-mystery, hotly anticipated Walking Dead companion series. Following its surprise announcement in 2013 and a pilot greenlight in 2014, The Walking Dead spinoff is definitively a-go at AMC with an early two-season pickup order by the network. The first season is set to premiere in late summer and it will follow in the flagship series’ footsteps with a truncated six episode start. Season two will air in 2016 and its episode count is still TBD. The series’ title is also being kept under wraps, though IMDb is calling it Fear the Walking Dead.

What is there to know about the series so far? Not much. AMC is calling it a “companion series” as opposed to a “spinoff” because although it will take place in The Walking Dead universe, it will feature an entirely new cast and fresh storylines. It will take place in Los Angeles, showing how the zombie outbreak affected that other part of the country (we’ve hovered around Atlanta for the most part with Rick and the gang). Actors tagged to the show include Cliff Curtis (Gang Related, Trauma), Kim Dickens (House of Cards, Sons of Anarchy, Treme, Lost, Deadwood), Frank Dillane (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince), and Alycia Debnam Carey (The 100). Sources say Curtis is the male lead and will be playing Sean Cabrera, a divorced teacher trying to do right by everyone; learn more about the potential list of characters at TVLine. See Curtis, Dickens, and Dillane in a production still above; another one hangs after the break.

Robert Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd, Greg Nicotero, and David Alpert from The Walking Dead are serving as executive producers of the companion series. Dave Erickson (Marco Polo, Sons of Anarchy) is showrunner and an EP; he co-created and co-wrote the pilot with Kirkman.

AMC president Charlie Collier said this in a statement: “We take incredibly seriously the notion of building a satisfying companion series to the number one show on television. From the beginning of The Walking Dead on AMC, we’ve been asked questions about what was going on in other parts of the zombie apocalypse, and what it looked like as the world really did ‘turn.’ Through this new series, we’re going to find out. Robert Kirkman, Dave Erickson and their writing team, along with an incomparable set of producers, cast and crew have created something remarkable and clearly distinct. We respectfully follow the request of Monty Python as we bring out (the latest of) our Dead.”

Kirkman added: “We feel empowered by this two-season commitment, a serious show of faith from our network partner AMC. I personally take it as a sign that they believe, like we do, that we’ve accomplished our goal of developing something original that can pay tribute to the original show and expand the world I created while at the same time having something new to say with this story. I’m very grateful that we now have the opportunity to tell this amazing story and show the fans that we really haven’t scratched the surface yet when it comes to The Walking Dead.”

And Erikson chimed in: “This vote of confidence from our partners at AMC is gratifying, to say the least. We’ve been blessed with amazing writers and a stellar cast — and we can’t wait to build this apocalyptic drama over the next two seasons and hopefully beyond.”

Stick it here as more details leak out. Currently, The Walking Dead airs Sundays at 10pm on AMC.

Update (3/14): Robert Kirkman briefly discussed the Walking Dead companion series this month during a panel at SXSW. Jump after the break for choice quotes. Continue reading ‘The Walking Dead’ companion series gets two season order from AMC →

NBC schedules ‘Hannibal’ season 3 for June (2 new posters inside!)

Image cache, News, Television, , , , , , ,

Calling all Fannibals, it’s nearly time to feast once again. Today the Peacock network penciled in the season 3 premiere date of Bryan Fuller’s bloody good drama Hannibal. Will Graham’s hunt for Hannibal Lector begins Thursday, June 4 at 10pm. So mark your calendars and sharpen your kitchen knives, but not before watching the season 3 trailer!

Fuller confirmed the news with a simple tweet stating “TUCK IN” and using the hashtag #HannibalReturnsJune4. He also mentions actress Gillian Anderson, now a series regular, because she’s featured in the new Hannibal poster plastered above. Anderson plays Hannibal’s shrink Bedelia du Maurier, and at the very end of last season she’s seen escaping the States on a plane sitting next to Dr. Lector. Take in the beautifully simple poster, and then, jump after the break to see a leather jacket-clad Mads Mikkelsen.

One more thing. Here’s a super fun fact: NBC additionally scheduled new summer drama Aquarius starring David Duchovny for Thursday, May 28 from 9-11pm. The following week it will fall into its regular Thursdays-at-9 timeslot preceding Hannibal. Do you get what I’m hinting at here? Duchovny’s new show serves as an appetizer (ahem, apéritif) to one starring Gillian Anderson; it’s an X-Files reunion…of sorts! Continue reading NBC schedules ‘Hannibal’ season 3 for June (2 new posters inside!) →

Harmonix resurrects ‘Rock Band’ for Xbox One & PS4–get all the details here

Image cache, News, Technology, , ,

Eight years after releasing the original Rock Band, developer Harmonix is readying the fourth iteration in the musical video game franchise. Rock Band 4 is coming to current-gen consoles only, namely Xbox One and PlayStation 4.

Right off the bat, here are answers to questions you probably want to know immediately. The Rock Band Music Store will be accessible in the new title; this will allow gamers to download and play over 2,000 tracks when the game launches. Of course, those tracks are in addition to new tracks that will ship on the title’s disc. Due to licensing restrictions, songs featured on Rock Band 3 and The Beatles Rock Band will not be carried over to the Music Store. What about previously purchased songs you might have downloaded for Rock Band, RB2, and RB3? The developer claims all your DLC will transfer from PS3 to PS4 and from Xbox 360 to Xbox One; purchases are tied to your console maker, so if you purchased songs on PS3 and want to play them on Xbox One, that unfortunately won’t be possible.

And what about those plastic peripherals probably collecting dust in your basements and garages? Harmonix is working closely with Microsoft and Sony to make your old-gen guitars and drum kits compatible with RB4. Keyboards, however, will no longer be supported. But of course, the dev is collaborating with accessory maker Mad Catz again to ship updated instruments with the game.

Besides all this, we really don’t know much about the game yet. In a behind-the-scenes clip, the team at Harmonix shares their excitement about creating a brand new Rock Band that will go back to the franchise’s roots in terms of gameplay; and at the same time, it will introduce new ways to play. “There is some evolution of the way that you play that’s in this game that really wouldn’t have been possible if we made the game a couple years ago,” teases company CEO Steve Janiak. Harmonix, whose self-publishing this passion project, says fans of the franchise should not expect a Rock Band 5 any time soon. They envision RB4 to serve as a platform that can exist for the entire length of a console generation; instead of saturating the market with new $60 titles every year, they will continually evolve gameplay with software updates and keep things fresh, of course, with new DLC tracks. Music to my ears!

You can sign up for preorder notifications today. Jump after the break to eyeball the familiar-looking instruments, and rock on!

Bonus! Check out this 15-year-old girl shredding on her custom-made Vigier Excalibur playing “Through the Fire and the Flames” and let all the good Rock Band memories come flooding back. Continue reading Harmonix resurrects ‘Rock Band’ for Xbox One & PS4–get all the details here →

Kanye West announces new album title, artwork & single “All Day”

Audio, Image cache, Music, News, , , ,

This week Kanye West made a few major announcements regarding his upcoming seventh studio album: it’s got a title, new single, and fresh album artwork. Ye’s next collection of music is collectively called So Help Me God and it will ship with previously released tracks “Only One” (Featuring Paul McCartney) and “Wolves” (Featuring Sia and Vic Mensa). Sources say the Rihanna-led “Four Five Seconds” is exclusively bound for the Barbadian singer’s next record.

As for Ye’s third single off So Help Me God, it’s called “All Day” and he debuted it live at the BRIT Awards last week. Today, he released a studio version on iTunes; preview it above. If you’ve been missing Ye going hard, “All Day” is the answer to your prayers. The rapper spits lyrics on top of an infectious beat, and he’s assisted by Trinidadian-born alt-hip-hop artist Theophilus London, Canadian rising rapper Allan Kingdom, and yes, Sir Paul McCartney rounds the track out with some whistling. Rolling Stone reports McCartney’s contribution, and they astutely speculate that the whistling was actually plucked from a song the Beatle shared in 1969.

Lastly, scroll up to eyeball the stylistic album artwork for So Help Me God. Four lower-case m’s connect to form a diamond shape. Redditors say it’s representative of a 13th century monastic symbol for the Virgin Mary, but I don’t buy it until Kanye says otherwise.

When can we expect the album to drop in full? West recently sat down with Power 105.1 and he claimed that it’s 80% complete. And even when it is ready, a hard release date will not be announced. Following in the footsteps of Queen Bey and Drake, Ye plans on surprising his fans by dropping his next studio album without any notice.

If you consider yourself to be a major Kanye fan, or if you’re simply interesting in exploring the controversial rapper’s mind, I highly recommend you listen to the aforementioned interview in full, here. In it, he discusses everything from his award show interruptions to his design aspirations. When asked to describe his upcoming album, he said this: “My last album [Yeezus] was a protest of music…This album is about embracing the music and embracing joy and being of joy and being of service to the people. I just hope people like it and enjoy it.”

[Stream via 2DopeBoyz]

TV reminder: 12 premieres to look out for in March

Image cache, News, Television, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

There are so many super awesome cool amazing premieres falling on the schedule this month! Jump after the break to preview 12 you shouldn’t miss. Continue reading TV reminder: 12 premieres to look out for in March →

Marvel teases the return of The Avengers in ‘Age of Ultron’ poster

Image cache, Movies, , ,

Marvel’s pushed out the official theatrical poster for Avengers: Age of Ultron. Joss Whedon’s super hero sequel features the usual suspects including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Black Widow, Hawkeye, and Nick Fury. The film’s main antagonist, Ultron, is nowhere to be seen; unless, of course, he’s one of the many ominous flying pieces of metal in the sky. You’ll also notice three new players entering the arena: on the far right there’s Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, played by Elizabeth Olsen and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, respectively. And up top, soaring above Hulk’s angry mug, is The Vision. He’ll be played by Paul Bettany, who interestingly also voiced Tony Stark’s AI, J.A.R.V.I.S. Note that this isn’t the first time Marvel’s teased the mysterious figure from comic book lore; jump after the break to see him hiding in plain sight in the San Diego Comic Con-exclusive poster that dropped over the summer. Sadly, Spidey is nowhere to be found…yet.

Avengers: Age of Ultron hits theatres May 1. See the trailers here and here. Continue reading Marvel teases the return of The Avengers in ‘Age of Ultron’ poster →

Zack Snyder unveils his Aquaman for ‘Dawn of Justice’

Image cache, Movies, ,

Zack Snyder, slowly but surely, is rolling out to fans the line-up of superheroes from his upcoming DC Comics-based pic Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. So far, we’ve seen Henry Cavill as Superman, Ben Affleck as Batman and Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman. Next up, and pictured above, is Jason Momoa (Game of Thrones) as Aquaman. He’s arguably the most underrated superhero–his super power is talking to fish. But Snyder is putting his signature twist on trident-wielding King of the Seven Seas; Momoa embodies a powerful, dark, and foreboding force here with tattoos galore.

Snyder shared the image with the world via Twitter. It says “unite the seven” and his tweet reads, “There is only one true King.” Speculate what you will, but there’s no denying that Snyder aims to elevate the DC universe to Marvel’s highly set cinematic bar when Dawn of Justice releases May 6, 2016.

Kanye West collaborates with Adidas on new fashion line, outs Yeezy Boost & new music

Fashion, Image cache, Music, News, Video, , , , , ,

After years of struggle, Kanye West is finally realizing his vision to create a fashion clothing line. It’s true; the rapper’s released sneakers and other footwear in the past. Way before his deal with Nike to produce the Air Yeezys, West teased a conceptual clothing line dubbed Pastelle but nothing ever really came of it. All we got was this cryptic website that still exists today, idle. Now his dream of creating and promoting and selling high-end apparel comes to fruition thanks to a new partnership with Adidas.

The Adidas line is called Yeezy Season 1 and the first tangible product to come out of the project is a new sneaker, the Yeezy Boost. Picture above, the new-generation Yeezy released this past Saturday in a grey-toned color way. The shoe is constructed with high quality full suede with a dynamic strap that wraps across a perforated vamp. West is rolling out his latest creation slowly–only 3,000 were made available over the weekend and in a forward-thinking move, he worked with Adidas to develop a reservation app. Instead of having sneakerheads lineup and fight over the footwear in the cold streets of NYC, a simple app allowed interested parties to reserve the shoe in their desired size. Missed out on that? The Yeezy Boost will see a second major retailer push on Feb. 28 at Adidas flagship stores, among other select, undisclosed locations. If waiting in line isn’t your style, your only other option at this point is eBay; the sneaker, which normally sells for $350, is offered on the auction site for upwards of $3,000. And if that doesn’t stimulate your senses, don’t fret–West has publicly stated that everyone who wants a Yeezy Boost will have the opportunity to buy one…eventually.

Get a closer look at the Yeezy Boost at Adidas’ dedicated portal. Want to sneak a peek at Yeezy Season 1? Jump after the break to watch models work the runway wearing Kanye’s concepts. It’s certainly an eclectic swing. West describes YS1 as “as the world’s first solutions-based clothing line that cherishes universality and timelessness.” Skip to 8:28 to hear a brand new track that debuted at the New York Fashion Week event; it’s called “Wolves” and it features an auto-tuned West, Chi-town up-and-comer Vic Mensa, and Sia. Continue reading Kanye West collaborates with Adidas on new fashion line, outs Yeezy Boost & new music →

First look at next Bond film ‘SPECTRE’ (video inside)

Image cache, Movies, Video, , , , , , ,

That’s Daniel Craig back in his spy gear for the next film in the 007 franchise. That snowy mountaintop is the Austrian Alps, one of many locations the film will travel to this time around. In addition to shooting here and at Pinewood Studios in London, Bond 24 aka SPECTRE will visit Rome, Mexico City, Tangier, and Erfoud.

Want to see more? Jump after the break to watch a behind-the-scenes clip featuring Craig, co-stars Léa Seydoux and Dave Bautista, and returning director Sam Mendes as well as other members of the production. The video teases “one of the major action sequences of the movie, a jewel in the crown so to speak.”

“The thing Sam and I talked about was how we are going to top Skyfall”, says production designer Dennis Gassner. “We are going to continue the history of the Bond films, making things that are exciting for the audience to look at and what could be more exciting than to be on top of the world.”

SPECTRE releases November 6. Click here to learn more about the movie. Continue reading First look at next Bond film ‘SPECTRE’ (video inside) →

The 2015 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue cover model is…

Hot Stuff, Image cache, , , ,

24-year-old Hannah Davis, an American born in Saint Thomas, in the U.S. Virgin Islands, is this year’s SI swimsuit cover girl. You may recognize her: She’s a professional model, appearing in campaigns for Ralph Lauren and other top fashion brands. If you’re a sports freak, you may know her as Derek Jeter’s on-again off-again girlfriend. And if you’re counting, this is Davis’ third time appearing in a SI Swimsuit Issue, so she’s no rookie.

After you’re done ogling the racy cover (so much torso this year!), there’s more where that came from. Here is Hannah Davis’ page that’s packed with stills from her photoshoot as well as video. Photographer Ben Watts snapped the collection at Tennessee’s Blackberry Farm. Jimmy Fallon had the honor of unveiling the coveted cover on The Tonight Show; watch it happen here.

The latest Swimsuit Issue is on newsstands today, and an online portal featuring the rest of the zine’s models is live.

‘The Walking Dead’ 5B: new poster, haunting teaser, and a sneak peek at the back eight episodes

Image cache, Television, Video, , , , , ,

The Walking Dead returns in less than a month and so it’s time to ramp up anticipation for the back half of season five. AMC does it right by pumping out a flashy new poster, a truly epic teaser, and a brief sneak peek at what’s in store next for Rick and the gang. In the poster (see above), the survivors are walking down a dilapidated, deserted street. And what’s that on the side of the road? It’s the map that Abraham scribbled the following note on before departing for Washington: “The new world’s gonna need Rick Grimes.” [Spoiler!] Though Washington ended up being a bust (thanks a lot, Eugene!), perhaps the band of brothers (and sisters) are about to catch some much needed luck and find a new safe haven to fortify and for Rick to lead. A post-credits scene in the 5A finale featured Morgan finding the overrun church and that map inside; perhaps the poster is signaling a long-awaited reunion for Rick and the man who cried clear.

There’s more after the break: a haunting teaser following the survivors in the woods as they take down off-screen walkers, and a look at what’s ahead including commentary from the cast and producers. Showrunner Scott M. Gimple calls the back half of the season “a very interesting structure. There are some very emotional moments, there are some very crazy moment, and there’s a huge change for the situation for these characters.” Star Andrew Lincoln says, “it feels like a new show visually and also story-wise.”

The Walking Dead returns February 8 at 9pm on AMC.

Continue reading ‘The Walking Dead’ 5B: new poster, haunting teaser, and a sneak peek at the back eight episodes →

‘Bond 24’ gets a title, release date, official synopsis, cast & all-new specifically designed Astin Martin car

Image cache, Movies, News, , , ,

Bond, James Bond returns in the 24th film in the long-running espionage franchise. On Wednesday, returning director Sam Mendes (Skyfall) hosted an unveiling event that revealed the film’s shrouded title, among other tidbits. Bond 24 is name SPECTRE and it aims to release November 6, 2015. In case you’re not ‘in the know’ when it comes to all things 007, SPECTRE is a fictional global terrorist organization featured in a number of James Bond novels written by Ian Flemming. It’s also an acronym: SPecial Executive for Counter-intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion. The head of the organization is evil genius Ernst Stavro Blofeld; the character is featured in a number of Flemming’s novels as well as many 007 films. He was perhaps portrayed most famously by Donald Pleasence in You Only Live Twice (1967). The character would go on to spawn Mike Myers’ Dr. Evil, of course.

With SPECTRE at the center of the new film, you’d think Blofeld would serve as Bond’s main antagonist here. Interestingly, the cast announcement left his name out entirely. Obviously Daniel Craig reprises 007 for the fourth time running; other returning cast includes Rory Kinnear as Tanner, Ben Whishaw as Q, Naomie Harris as Miss Moneypenny, and Ralph Fiennes as the new M. Joining the cast is Andrew Scott (Moriarty from BBC’s Sherlock) as Denbigh, Dave Bautista (Drax from Guardians of the Galaxy) as Mr. Hinx, Monica Bellucci as Bond Girl #1 Lucia Sciarra, Léa Seydoux as Bond Girl #2 Madeleine Swann, and Christoph Waltz as Hannes Oberhauser. Now, Oberhauser is an actual character plucked from Bond lore; he served as a mentor for James before he mysteriously vanished. Even then, why can’t I stop postulating that this is merely a ruse and Waltz will indeed portray the sinister Blofeld? (Star Wars did it when they cast Benedict Cumberbatch as “John Harrison” and we all know who that ended up being.)

SPECTRE will shoot at Pinewood Studios in London, as well as in exotic locales like Rome, Mexico City, Tangier, Erfoud, and the Austrian Alps. Principal photography begins this Monday at Pinewood with Mendes at the helm and Interstellar‘s cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema and editor Lee Smith beside him. Skyfall writers John Logan, Neal Purvis and Robert Wade have also penned the SPECTRE script.

As in all Bond movies, 007’s method of transportation here plays an important, flashy role. Mendes dramatically revealed Bond’s latest ride at the press event: it’s the all-new Astin Martin DB10. Little is known about the high-performance vehicle, expect for the fact that it was designed specifically for the movie and limited production is underway.

What else? Here’s a log line: “A cryptic message from Bond’s past sends him on a trail to uncover a sinister organization. While M battles political forces to keep the secret service alive, Bond peels back the layers of deceit to reveal the terrible truth behind SPECTRE.”

So pretty much all that’s left is to find out who will be performing SPECTRE‘s theme. Recent rumblings point to talented British crooner Sam Smith. For now, jump after the break view the official teaser poster. Continue reading ‘Bond 24’ gets a title, release date, official synopsis, cast & all-new specifically designed Astin Martin car →