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Trump Posts Pro-GOP Ad Comparing Migrants to Convicted Murderer

President Donald Trump tweeted a pro-GOP ad early Wednesday afternoon that’s being compared to George H.W. Bush’s racist “Willie Horton” ad from the 1988 election.

“It is outrageous what the Democrats are doing to our Country. Vote Republican now!” Trump tweeted alongside the video.

Beginning with the legend “illegal immigrant, Luis Bracamontes, killed our people!” the ad compares the caravan of Central American asylum seekers traveling to the U.S. that have made headlines in recent days to Bracamontes, an undocumented immigrant and drug dealer who was convicted of murder in February after being deported twice over the past 21 years. It cuts footage of Bracamontes with news clips of the caravan. Bracamontes, who killed two police officers in Sacramento, Calif. and was sentenced to death, states that he wishes he had killed more.

“Democrats let him in,” the ad reads. “Democrats let him stay.”

The ad also features a Fox News interview with one of the migrants, who says he wants to get a pardon for attempted murder.

It concludes with the phrase “President Donald J. Trump and Republicans are making America safe again!”

After the 1988 election, Bush was criticized two ads that were intended to target Democratic candidate Michael Dukakis for his history of advocating inmate furlough programs. The first ad, “Weekend Passes,” was produced by a political action committee and focused on the exceptional case of Horton, an African-American prisoner who was released for a weekend furlough and went on to commit assault, armed robbery, and rape. It included a mug shot of Horton at the end of the ad.

Shortly after “Weekend Passes” stopped airing, the Bush campaign released its own ad, “Revolving Door,” which did not mention Horton directly but instead featuring a series of threatening-looking men walking in and out of prison. Civil rights leader Jesse Jackson called that ad racist, and claimed the campaign used it to target white voters by playing to their stereotyped fear of black men.

UC Berkeley professor of public policy and former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich called the Bracamontes ad “the most desperate and vile since Willie Horton.”

“They’ve resorted to fearmongering,” Reich wrote of the Republicans.

This may be the most desperate and vile ad since Willie Horton. Trump and Republicans don't want to talk about the fact that they plan to repeal the ACA, gut Social Security, Medicare, & Medicaid, and cut taxes even further for their donors, so they've resorted to fearmongering. https://t.co/xaXNThEOfb

— Robert Reich (@RBReich) October 31, 2018

Trump recently announced plans to send 10,000 to 15,000 active duty troops to the border to deal with the caravan, which is not expected to reach the border for weeks or even months. He has made numerous claims about the migrants, none of which are supported by any evidence, including that the caravan is much larger than media reports, that it is comprised mostly of young men, that “criminals and unknown Middle Easterners are mixed in” with the group, and that it’s possible the caravan is funded by George Soros.

Jean Reno’s Thriller ‘Cold Blood Legacy’ Sells to Screen Media (EXCLUSIVE)

Screen Media has bought North American rights to the action thriller “Cold Blood Legacy,” starring Jean Reno and Sarah Lind, Variety has learned exclusively.

The film is directed by Frédéric Petitjean from his own script. “Cold Blood Legacy” centers on a legendary hitman, portrayed by Reno, who enjoys the isolation of his lakeside cabin. When his solitude is shattered by the arrival of a young woman (played by Lind), the survivor of a massive snowmobile accident, he must decide whether to risk his own life to save hers.

“Cold Blood Legacy” also stars Joe Anderson (“Twilight”), David Gyasi (“Interstellar”), Ihor Ciszkewycz,  François Guétary (“Lost”)  and Samantha Bond (“Downton Abbey”).

“Cold Blood Legacy” was produced by Corinne Benichou and Florence Moos for Eight35, and co-produced by Laurent Tolleron for Seven52, and Olias Barco and Oleg German for Eastwest.  Seth Needle, senior VP of worldwide acquisitions at Screen Media, negotiated the deal with sales agent Goldcrest Films Intl.  A day-and-date release is planned for the first half of 2019.

“Cold Blood Legacy is the story of one man facing up to his own fears.  What is exciting for audiences is how this harsh wilderness becomes a brutal and unforgiving nemesis. It’s a breath-taking game of chess played out on an epic scale,” said Petitjean.

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Lionsgate Takes U.K. Rights to Gemma Arterton’s ‘Summerland’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Embankment Films has sold British rights to Lionsgate U.K. for romantic drama “Summerland,” starring Gemma Arterton and Gugu Mbatha-Raw. Variety has been given the exclusive first-look image for the film, which has just wrapped production.

The pic is the feature debut of British playwright Jessica Swale, who won an Olivier Award for her play “Nell Gwynn,” in which Arterton and Mbatha-Raw both starred. Swale won BAFTA’s JJ Screenwriting Bursary for “Summerland” in 2012.

The film centers on fiercely independent writer Alice (Arterton) who “secludes herself in her clifftop study, debunking myths using science to disprove the existence of magic,” according to a statement.

When a spirited young man, Frank, an evacuee from the London Blitz, is placed in her care, “his innocence and curiosity awaken Alice’s buried emotions… perhaps magic really does exist.”

The cast includes Penelope Wilton (“The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel”) and Tom Courtenay (“45 Years”), as well as rising young actors Lucas Bond (“Slumber”) and Dixie Egerickx (“The Secret Garden”).

The film is produced by Guy Heeley and Adrian Sturges, with Arterton serving as an executive producer alongside Natascha Wharton for the BFI, which helped finance the pic alongside Quickfire Films.

Embankment is handling international sales and co-representing the U.S. with the Gersh Agency.

Zygi Kamasa, CEO of Lionsgate U.K., said: “At Lionsgate we’re constantly looking for projects that nurture both established and rising British talent – and ‘Summerland’ has both of those elements. Jessica is clearly a filmmaker on the rise.”

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Undertale Is Teasing Something New

There's something brewing in the world of Toby Fox's Undertale. The game came out way back in 2015 for PC and later for home consoles. The Kickstarted project turned out to be a big indie success, and now there appears to be something new being teased for the title, but the upcoming content is one big mystery.

The news comes courtesy of a tweet from the official UnderTale Twitter account. All it says is "Welcome." What exactly does that mean, though?

There are a number of responses to the tweet, with various possibilities spilling out of the minds of fans and into the Twitter thread. One of the more liked comments suggests that a character in the game named Sans might be announced as an addition to Nintendo's Super Smash Bros. Ultimate for the Switch, which is due out this December.

Is it a possibility? It seems like a little bit outside the realm of the kind of character Nintendo would add to a game like Smash Bros., especially since if any indie character was being added to the game, it would likely be Shovel Knight from the eponymous game made by Yacht Club Games. Then again, Nintendo is hosting another Direct on November 1, so maybe we shouldn't completely rule out a Smash Bros., related announcement.

Since the game is already available for home consoles and PC, it's unlikely that another platform release is in the works, unless it's something mobile related?

According to PushSquare, there are a number of follow-up tweets from Toby Fox that indicate that something would be announced on October 31, which informed gamers to return to the Twitter account for more information in 24 hours.

PushSquare ventures to question if the announcement could be related to an Undertale 2 or perhaps something related to a spin-off for the game?

The site also reports that Fox has been asking gamers within the community a number of questions, so maybe there's some new DLC in the works? The tweets are part of several other unthreaded tweets on the account that mention that Fox will ask the community a number of questions and then attempt to bring the project to its full realization, also noting that it's a ways off, whatever it is.

Given that Fox mentions that it's working on something new, it likely means that it could be a new IP. However, a new IP would likely mean that the announcement for feedback would come from a more natural account ran by the developer instead of the Twitter account for Undertale. This leads credence to the idea that it could be an Undertale 2.

Destructoid speculates that it could be anything, from a survey linked to a video to a demo for the PC version of the game on Steam. I tend to doubt that there would be a build-up of anticipation for a PC demo, though. Would a New Game Plus make sense? How about a new playable character in the game? An extra story for the current game?

Of course, given the strange nature of Undertale it could end up turning out to be anything. We'll find out exactly what the big announcement is tomorrow.

Why Movie Narratives Don't Work In Video Games, According To Peter Jackson

There's been ongoing and long-running debates about why movie-games don't work and vice versa on why game-movies don't work. Of all people, director Peter Jackson decided to chime in and explain why the movie-games don't work, or specifically why movie narratives don't work in video games.

During a press event for the upcoming release of Mortal Engines, Polygon managed to get in a word with the director of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, asking him about his gaming habits, some of his favorite games and movie-games. Regarding the latter topic, Jackson explained the difficulty of getting games made based on movies, and one of the prime challenges of turning a movie script into a video game, saying:

This is very true given that video games are interactive, and trying to tell a linear story in a video game means that it has to undermine a lot of the agency of the gamer. This also creates a narrative dissonance sometimes between what the gamer is doing and what the plot is trying to unfold. We see this many times in Assassin's Creed games where you take out like 100 guys, and then in a cinematic sequence, the main character gets knocked out by just one guy, leaving players scratching their heads how the main character got so weak.

But Jackson also praised video games for elevating the quality of their content with additional actors and the improved performance capture process that has allowed companies like Naughty Dog to tell some compelling stories in games like Uncharted and The Last of Us. Jackson mentioned that these sort of high-quality games are like mini-movies in themselves and that this showcases a lot more crossover between Hollywood and game making.

And speaking of game-making, Jackson shot down any confirmation of a game being made based on Mortal Engines. The reason for no game? Because it's an original IP, and Jackson mentioned that in the world of movie making, there won't be a game until the movie is a guaranteed success, and so far the success of the movie is still up in the air.

According to Jackson, most games based on movies don't happen unless there's a sequel or unless the movie is guaranteed to be a huge success, sort of like with James Cameron's Avatar, which ended up getting a game based on the movie for the Xbox 360 and PS3. It was a typical mediocre third-person shooter from Ubisoft, but it's proof that sometimes original movie IPs will get games based on them if the studios think the property is big enough to warrant the investment.

If Mortal Engines does become a huge hit and a sequel does get the green light, I wonder if Peter Jackson will take a hands-on approach with the development of the game, and what sort of narrative structure would the game take to avoid the kind of pitfalls that have plagued movie-games in the past?

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Good Witch Added A Hocus Pocus Star To Season 5

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Boy Meets World's Mr. Feeny Stopped A Home Robbery In Real Life

As an actor, William Daniels has amassed an incredibly long-standing career. With over 60 years of professional acting credits to his name in film, television and theater, there's no denying the longevity of his acting pursuits. But Daniels is still perhaps best known for his work on the coming-of-age sitcom Boy Meets World, where he played the popular role of Mr. Feeny from 1993 all the way to 2000, when the hit show came to its ultimate conclusion. But the 91-year-old actor added another credit to his name: robber foiler. That's because Daniels stopped an intruder from robbing him this past weekend.

According to a recent report from ABC 7, William Daniels was at home with his wife, Bonnie Bartlett, when the incident occurred. It was Saturday evening, and the married couple was enjoying a quiet evening when an intruder tried to make their way into the house through the back door. It happened around 9:30 PM, according to the authorities, and Daniels had a quick-witted way of stopping the robber from causing any more damage. The actor turned on the lights inside the house, putting the intruder into plain sight. The intruder got frightened, ran away and didn't cause any harm.

Considering William Daniels' age, it is remarkable that he was able to prevent this home invasion from getting dangerous. Thankfully, nothing became of the intruder's attempt, and Mr. Daniels and his wife appear to be safe and away from harm. They also received no shortage of support from fans, who expressed concern for the actor they love from his work on the '90s sitcom, and he expressed his firm gratitude.

At the time of this reporting, no subjects have been taken into custody in relation to this crime. The Los Angeles Police Department doesn't have a clear description of the perpetrator either, so it's unclear if anyone will be brought to justice for their actions. In any case, we're glad everyone is safe.

Among the crowds of people offering their relief and support to William Daniels is none other than Will Friedle, who played Eric Matthews on both Boy Meets World and its short-lived Disney Channel sequel, Girl Meets World. On Twitter, Friedle had the following to say about Daniels' weekend break-in.

What more is there to say than that? Daniels' generations of fans were able to get a quick laugh out of the situation, now that it's clear everyone is reportedly safe and sound. When it comes to the latest news in film and TV, as well as in pop culture and the general celebrity reports, you can be sure to check back in with CinemaBlend.

‘Our Cartoon President: Election Special 2018’ Trailer: Trump And Don Jr. Try To Save America From Democratic Wave

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“Let’s terrify this country into loving me!” says cartoon Donald Trump in the new trailer for Our Cartoon President: Election Special 2018. 

Two days before the midterm elections Showtime will premiere the special which has cartoon Trump teaming up with his son Don Jr. to try to help Republicans win the midterm election and save America from the grips of democracy. Joining them in the fight will be frenemies Vladimir Putin and Ted Cruz as well as Bill and Hillary Clinton, and Barack Obama — all cartoon versions, obviously. It’s an all out battle royale as Trump and his son bond over trying to Make America Great Again from a giant robot Hillary Clinton.

The Showtime series is executive produced by Stephen Colbert, Chris Licht and showrunner R.J. Fried. Our Cartoon President is produced by CBS Television Studios. Tim Luecke serves as lead animator and co-executive producer. Matt Lappin serves as consulting producer.

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Don Lemon Stands Up By Statement That White Men Are “Biggest Terror Threat” To The Country In Wake Of Hate Crimes

UPDATED: On Monday, Don Lemon appeared on Cuomo Prime Time to talk to his CNN colleague Chris Cuomo about two black shoppers that were shot in Kentucky last week which has since been deemed a hate crime. While discussing the news with Cuomo, Lemon made a comment that sparked controversy.

“I keep trying to point out to people not to demonize any one group or any one ethnicity, but we keep thinking that the biggest terror threat is something else,” Lemon said, adding, “we have to stop demonizing people and realize the biggest terror threat in this country is white men, most of them radicalized to the right, and we have to start doing something about them.”

He pointed out that there is no travel ban on white men like there is with Muslim ban and that there is no “white guy ban” in general. “What do we do about that?”

Lemon was immediately criticized for his remarks, mainly by conservatives. Among them was Donald Trump Jr. who said, “Amazing. I thought this was some sort of joke quote taken out of context but no… it’s just Don Lemon being a moron. Unfortunately this is how so many leftists actually think. Disgusting! Imagine the outrage if you changed “white men” with any other demographic.”

On his CNN show Wednesday night, Lemon addressed the controversy, standing by his claim.

“I made some comments about that in a conversation with Chris,” Lemon said. “I said that the biggest terror threat in this country comes from radicals on the far right, primarily white men. That angered some people. But let’s put emotion aside and look at the cold hard facts. The evidence is overwhelming,” Lemon said, citing a recent report from the Government Accountability Office.

“Even though more people died in attacks connected to Islamic extremists, the vast majority of deadly attacks in this country from 2001 to 2016 were carried out by far-right violent extremists…. Their analysis shows that for every eight deadly attacks by right-wing extremists, there were one by left-wing extremists,’ he said. Those are the facts. So people who were angered about what I said are missing the entire point. We don’t need to worry about people who are thousands of miles away. The biggest threats are homegrown. The facts prove that.”

Lemon’s original statements come in the wake of the shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh where Joyce Fienberg, David Rosenthal, Richard Gottfried, Bernice Simon, Sylvan Simon, Rose Mallinger, Jerry Rabinowitz, Daniel Stein, Cecil Rosenthal, Melvin Wax, and Irving Younger were gunned down by a suspected white male domestic terrorist.

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Hugh Grant Joins Guy Ritchie’s ‘Toff Guys’ Gang

EXCLUSIVE: Hugh Grant is boarding Miramax’s Guy Ritchie-directed gangster feature Toff Guys. 

Written by Ritchie with Marn Davies and Ivan Atkinson, Toff Guys returns the British filmmaker back to his Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch roots. The pic explores the collision between old-money European wealth and the modern marijuana industrial complex with new gang entrants swarming.

Grant joins Matthew McConaughey, Kate Beckinsale and Crazy Rich Asians breakout Henry Golding who have already been announced. The Four Weddings and a Funeral Star will play Fletcher, a British gossip journalist with a reputation of going into people’s lives, and undoing them. Miramax closed a $30 million-plus world rights deal and committed to finance the pic in May ahead of the Cannes market.

The new studio under beIN Media Group Chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi and CEO Bill Block is on a roll this month with Halloween which they co-financed with Blumhouse and produced. The slasher sequel, made for around $15M, will ultimately close in on $200M at the global box office and instantaneously became the highest grossing pic in the 40-year old John Carpenter horror franchise. Miramax also had I, Tonya earlier this year which was nominated for three Oscars including best editing, best actress Margot Robbie, and best supporting actress Allison Janney, the latter who took home the Academy Award.

Recently Grant has won rave reviews for his turn as British Liberal Party Leader Jeremy Thorpe in the Amazon mini-series A Very English Scandal. Thorpe was accused of conspiracy to murder his gay ex-lover and forced to stand trial in 1979. Deadline Senior Editor Dominic Patten beamed in his review, “The Stephen Frears-directed and Russell T. Davies-penned series finds the expanse of Grant’s skills on display big time…Grant grimaces, growls and grandly takes this potential comedy of errors, which has already aired in the UK, beyond nonfiction farce to true tragedy with heartfelt candor over broken souls, a broken system, and a love that sadly could not and would speak its name.”

Grant starred earlier this year in StudioCanal/Warner Bros.’ Paddington 2 which made close to $227M worldwide. Grant won a BAFTA and a Golden Globe for his turn in Four Weddings and a Funeral. His films have racked up close to $3 billion at the global box office. Grant is repped by CAA.

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African-American Film Critics Association Partners With AMPAS For Career Summit

The African-American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) has partnered with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in For the Academy’s Careers in Film Summit in Atlanta. The summit will take place November 3 at SCADshow.

This marks AMPAS’ first educational outreach in the Atlanta area, which has quickly become an epicenter for film production. The event will feature three moderated panel discussions with working Academy members and film professionals intended to introduce high school and college students and their educators to the plethora of careers in the motion picture industry. The discussions focus on film careers above and below the line as well as the importance of representation. The Atlanta edition of the Summit is an extension of similar programs the Academy produces in Los Angeles, London and New York.

Confirmed panelists at the event include producer/director Roger Bobb, Deborah Riley Draper and Deborah Moore; casting agent, Winsome Sinclair; art director, Cindy Carr; makeup artist, Dionne Wynn, pr guru, Carolyn Sloss; manager Chaka Zulu and others.

The Academy’s Careers in Film Summit: Atlanta is presented in partnership with re:imagine/ATL, Savannah College of Art and Design Atlanta (SCAD), DeKalb Entertainment Commission, AAFCA and Saunders Lockliear Entertainment (SLE).

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Interim CBS CEO Joe Ianniello Readies For First Wall Street Closeup As Search For Permanent Boss Intensifies

As Joe Ianniello prepares to make his inaugural appearance as CBS Corp’s interim CEO tomorrow on the company’s quarterly earnings call, the search for a permanent leader has intensified, both internally and externally.

While the former longtime COO is seen as a viable contender, the media company’s newly constituted board of directors has retained executive search firm Korn Ferry to help potentially fill the CEO slot, Deadline has confirmed. The search is expected to take four to six months, an insider says.

The move comes amid a rapid-fire series of executive appointments made by Ianniello, with the board deciding to bring in outside assistance as it continues a series of meetings with top CBS execs and division heads.

In those meetings, which have been ongoing as the board familiarizes itself with the company, a number of executives have complained of “a rising morale problem” at CBS in recent months as legal battles raged with controlling shareholder Shari Redstone over the future of the company. Anxieties  arose before and after longtime CEO Les Moonves resigned September 9 following reports of multiple instances of sexual misconduct going back decades.

Concerns additionally heightened that Ianniello was and remains tainted by his long professional association with Moonves as the ex-CEO and chairman’s highly effective right-hand man for years. Furthermore, Ianniello has struck some on the company’s newly stocked board as lacking the right experience for the top job. An even more prevailing is a feeling is that residual fallout from his deep participation with Moonves earlier this year in the lawsuit again Redstone and National Amusements continues.

Still, Ianniello remains well in the running for becoming permanent CEO, and Redstone has yet to reveal her hand. The situation is playing out as the quick exit of interim CBS board boss Richard Parsons came in the middle of more corporate musical-chairs moves and several other high-profile departures.

Among the top internal job candidates, much attention is being given to well-regarded Showtime executive David Nevins, who was given expanded responsibilities by Ianniello earlier this month in the newly created position of chief creative officer, where he now has oversight of programming across CBS Television Studios, the network’s entertainment division, Showtime, the CW and CBS All Access. The move has been characterized by some as a deft move by Ianniello of keeping your potential enemies closer. More broadly the appointment was seen as a confident acknowledge by the interim CEO that he lacks programming and creative experience that Nevins can provide as CBS moves into the immediate future.

Other names including former CBS Entertainment executives Nancy Tellem and Nina Tassler and Disney’s ex-COO Tom Staggs have been bandied about in recent weeks too, some more seriously than others. Among the top candidates right now, only Turner’s recently departed boss John Martin has actual CEO stripes.

CBS declined comment today on the matter when contacted by Deadline.

In the meantime, Thursday’s third-quarter earnings call does present Ianniello with a ready-made opportunity to showcase his overall deftness at running the company and keeping the stock healthy — together they could prove the Rubicon he must cross to the CEO job.

Ianniello already is a familiar fixture on CBS’ earnings calls, having been elevated to chief financial officer in 2009 with responsibility for the company’s financial strategy. He often played a supporting role to Moonves, who dominated investor calls with a swagger that came from transforming the network from basement-dweller to top-rated broadcast network for 10 consecutive years.

Uncertainty and uneasiness swirled among investors during CBS’ last earnings call in August, which Ianniello’s appointment to interim CEO in early September was intended to alleviate.

The company’s stock has rallied since July 27, when the New Yorker published the first of two investigative stories detailing allegations of sexual harassment made against Moonves. CBS stock plunged nearly 12%, falling to a low of $50.91, in the first full day of trading after the exposé. Shares have seen dramatic fluctuations over past two months, but closed today at $57.35.

While intrigue about the company’s future leadership and fate will provide the backdrop for tomorrow’s call, the main focus is likely to be on nuts-and-bolts financials. Despite the public storms, the fundamentals are in solid shape; CBS has set company records for revenue in recent quarters and has exceeded internal targets for direct-to-consumer apps CBS All Access and Showtime.

Wall Street analysts are expecting earnings of $1.22 a share, a bump from $1.11 a share in the year-ago period.

In a note last week, Pivotal Research analyst Brian Wieser said the management shuffling is “understandable in context of an organization that is looking to distance itself from the past and move itself forward.”

But regardless of the individual merits and logic of the various roles, Wieser added, “the appointments are also unusual considering the interim nature of the CEO role at this time. … In the short term we don’t think anything should get in the way of anticipated operating trends, but we are mindful that the company may yet go through further organizational changes, whether with the current team in place or another one.”

Which means, to paraphrase that American poet W. Axl Rose, welcome to the jungle, Joe.

‘Euphoria’: Algee Smith & Austin Abrams Cast In HBO Teen Drama Series

Algee Smith (The New Edition Story) and Austin Abrams (The Walking Dead) have joined the cast of Euphoria, HBO’s teen drama starring Zendaya and written by The Wizard of Lies scribe Sam Levinson, with Drake and Future the Prince executive producing.

In a recasting, Smith will play McKay, believed to be a series regular role. He replaces Brian “Astro” Bradley, who played the part in the pilot. Abrams will portray Ethan.

Euphoria, based on the Israeli series from HOT, follows a group of high school students as they navigate drugs, sex, identity, trauma, social media, love and friendship. Zendaya leads the cast that also includes Storm Reid, Maude Apatow, Eric Dane, Alexa Demie, Jacob Elordi, Barbie Ferreira, Nika King, Hunter Schafer and Sydney Sweeney.

Levinson will write all episodes of the series and will executive produce alongside Drake, Future the Prince, Ron Leshem and Daphna Levin (the duo who created the original Israeli series), Tmira Yardeni, Ravi Nandan, Kevin Turen, Hadas Mozes Lichtenstein, Mirit Toovi, Yoram Mokadi and Gary Lennon. Augustine Frizzell directed the pilot and co-executive produces. A24 Television is producing.

Smith’s recent credits include the role of Ralph Tresvant on The New Edition Story and follow-up The Bobby Brown Story. On the big screen, Smith can currently be seen in The Hate U Give. He’s repped by Indigo Production Group, WME and Stone, Genow.

Abrams most recently recurred as Jackson Barber on FX’s The Americans, Casey on SMILF and Ron Anderson on The Walking Dead. He also has guest-starred on Shameless and Silicon Valley. Abrams is repped by WME, Industry Entertainment, Myman.

‘Marfa Girl 2’ Trailer: Controversial Filmmaker Larry Clark Is Back With His Sequel To The 2012 Drama

Larry Clark has always been a controversial filmmaker. Dating all the way back to when his debut film, “Kids,” was released in 1995, Clark has never been one to shy away from showing graphic depictions of violence and sex in his work. This has led to many of his films receiving adult ratings and/or distribution issues. However, that hasn’t stopped the writer-director, and it looks like 23 years later, he’s still pumping out films, including the recently announced “Marfa Girl 2.”

READ MORE: ‘Kids’ Director Larry Clark Goes Way Off Script In Insane, NSFW Bret Easton Ellis Podcast

Back in 2012, Clark released “Marfa Girl” on his website after a successful launch at the Rome Film Festival. As with many of his previous works, “Marfa Girl” included many young actors and non-actors, featuring the sex and violence that Clark has become known for. The film would eventually get a proper release in 2015, and now, three years later, Clark is back with the first trailer for “Marfa Girl 2.”

If you’ve seen the original “Marfa Girl,” you know what to expect in the sequel. Many of the same actors return and the story seems to pick up where the first film left off. And yes, there’s still plenty of that sex and violence. It appears that Breaking Glass Pictures, who gave the first film a proper distribution, will again be back to release “Marfa Girl 2.”

The cast includes Adam Mediano, Drake Burnette, Mercedes Maxwell, Jonathan Velasquez, Indigo Rael, and Jeremy St. James.

“Marfa Girl 2” doesn’t currently have a release date.

Here’s the synopsis for the film:

A family living in Marfa, Texas attempts to pull themselves back together after a horrific tragedy. This provocative sequel to Larry Clark’s film, shows us a group of people ready to escape their current realities – no matter the cost. Gritty, unrelenting and powerful, auteur Clark once again delivers a bleak landscape of sex, drugs and boredom amongst the residents of a dead-end Texas Border town.

Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross To Score Joe Wright’s ‘Woman In The Window’ Starring Amy Adams

It’s hard to believe that Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross have only been working together on film scores since 2010’s “The Social Network.” Of course, that collaboration got off to an incredible start, as the duo won the Oscar for their work on the David Fincher film. Since then, they’ve put together an incredible filmography of scores, with works like “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” “Gone Girl,” “Patriots Day,” and most recently on Jonah Hill’s directorial debut “mid90s.” And it looks like Reznor and Ross aren’t stopping anytime soon, as they line up a new Netflix film, an HBO series, and the latest project from filmmaker Joe Wright.

In an interview with Variety, Reznor and Ross go into detail about their process and how the duo seems to work well together, when most composers work alone. They also talk about their upcoming film slate, which includes “Bird Box,” which is set to hit Netflix later this year, and “Watchmen,” the comic book adaptation that HBO is making into a new series that will premiere in 2019.

READ MORE: Oscar-Winning Composers Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross Join Damon Lindelof’s ‘Watchmen’ HBO Series

“With ‘Bird Box,’ it’s mixing right now, and we’ve been working on that on and off pretty much all this year,” reveals Reznor. The Sandra Bullock-starring film comes from Academy Award-winning director Susanne Bier and Academy Award-nominated writer Eric Heisserer. “Bird Box” is a thriller about a woman attempting to save her family from a mysterious force that kills you if you see it. The film getting serious awards consideration, which means we could be hearing Reznor and Ross’ names come up in the awards chatter.

The duo also talks about how they were brought in to provide the music for the upcoming HBO series “Watchmen.” And it sounds like it wasn’t a matter of Reznor and Ross being asked to work on the project. Instead, it appears that Reznor, especially, approached creator Damon Lindelof about joining the highly-anticipated superhero series.

“We reached out to Damon and the HBO camp when I first heard about it, because I’ve been a fan of Damon since ‘Lost.’ I was completely blown away by ‘The Leftovers.’ Also, as a big fan of ‘Watchmen’ [in other incarnations], I appreciated the fearlessness that taking on that property and that IP would require. I thought, if anybody was to do it at any place, HBO and Damon sounds exciting to me,” Reznor said.

READ MORE: ‘It Comes At Night’ Director Making A Musical With Trent Reznor And Atticus Ross

He continued, “I’ve never done TV, but needless to say, it’s been a great several years for television, and long-form storytelling is exciting…For ‘Watchmen’ we’ve had the challenge of working almost blind, off a bit of a script for the first episode of 10. But we spent enough time with Damon to know that we’re kindred spirits. The pace of television seems interesting. Ask me in a few months how we feel about it, but right now we’re very excited about it.”

Another project that Ross and Reznor have lined up is the Joe Wright-directed film “Woman in the Window.” That film stars Amy Adams and Gary Oldman and comes from the Golden Globe-nominated director of “Darkest Hour” and “Atonement.”

So, if you’re a fan of Atticus Ross and Trent Reznor’s film work, then you’re in luck. The duo isn’t slowing down anytime soon and it appears there will be plenty of opportunities to hear their music over the next year.

‘Once Upon A Time In Hollywood’ Cinematographer Describes Tarantino’s Latest As “Humorous, Serious, Spooky”

Oscar-winning cinematographer Robert Richardson has been collaborating with writer-director Quentin Tarantino ever since “Kill Bill Vol. 1.” Now, it’s no surprise that Richardson is back with Tarantino, filming the upcoming epic “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.” And in a new interview, the cinematographer discusses the latest film from Tarantino, and reveals just why film nerds are going to love ‘Once Upon a Time.’

Speaking to Collider, Richardson revealed that the “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” shoot is still going on (it was day 89 at the time of the interview), and that he was loving working with some of the biggest names in Hollywood. He even name-checked Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, Margot Robbie, and Dakota Fanning as some of the actors he’s enjoying most. About the latter actress, he described Fanning as a “powerhouse.”

READ MORE: Bruce Dern Replaces His Friend Burt Reynolds In Quentin Tarantino’s ‘Once Upon A Time In Hollywood’

But then the cinematographer discussed the tone of ‘Once Upon a Time.’ You see, fans have been curious about what the film will feel like, considering its subject matter with actors dealing with the change in Hollywood in 1969 while Charles Manson and his “family” are on their killing spree. And as with any Tarantino film, Richardson says the tone is a bit malleable.

“I think the tone of it is—it’s difficult to describe because it’s very fresh, but it oscillates between humorous, serious, spooky; it’s playful. It’s not easily describable, but it’s very Quentin. Very, very, very Quentin. Of course, Al Pacino was in it and you’ve got remarkable monologues, but you also have remarkable small set pieces. It’s going to be a tremendously unique film,” he revealed.

You know you’ve made it as a director when someone can describe a film as “very, very, very Quentin” and everyone knows what they’re talking about.

Now, another thing that fans have been wondering about is how Richardson and Tarantino are filming ‘Once Upon a Time.’ After shooting “The Hateful Eight” in 70mm, many wondered if the director would employ the same style for his latest film. Unfortunately, though they would have liked to, budget concerns led to that idea getting nixed.

READ MORE: Tarantino And Fincher Cast Same Actor As Charles Manson In ‘Mindhunter’ & ‘Once Upon A Time’

Richardson explains, “We’re doing anamorphic 35, but we didn’t trespass into the 70mm realm for financial reasons, principally. The budget is—there are a hundred sets or something so they needed to cut back somewhere, and the added cost of 70mm is quite remarkable and it also has tremendous limitations like no zooms, and Quentin wanted zooms in the film so it required us to go to 35 anamorphic.”

The last bit of info that the cinematographer was able to share is something that should delight film fans quite a bit. We all know that Tarantino is one of the biggest cinephiles working in the film industry, so it shouldn’t be surprising that when the director sought to create 1969 Hollywood for the film, he wanted to be as realistic as possible, especially with what films will get Easter Eggs.

READ MORE: Sharon Tate’s Sister Gives Blessing To Quentin Tarantino’s ‘Once Upon A Time In Hollywood’

“Like ‘2001’ will be sitting there, and ‘Romeo and Juliet’ you’ll see on the screen has been there for eight months. That kind of thing, to be able to see these films up on the Cinerama Dome, that’s what he did, he recreated the time period pretty accurately in terms of film. So for those who are film nerds, they’re gonna love it,” said the cinematographer.

“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” is set to hit theaters on July 26, 2019.

REPORT: Ben Affleck Was Interested In Returning For ‘The Batman’ But Matt Reeves Vetoed The Idea

At this point, it’s not news to say that Ben Affleck won’t be in Matt Reeves’ upcoming “The Batman” solo film. We’ve covered the topic multiple times previously, as it appears that the filmmaker is interested in tackling a younger version of the Dark Knight and not the grizzled veteran that has been seen in the Zack Snyder-directed films “Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice” and “Justice League.” However, what is new is a report that says that Affleck wanted to come back, but Reeves vetoed the suggestion.

READ MORE: Matt Reeves Says ‘The Batman’ Will Not Be An Origin Story And Aiming To Film In First Half Of 2019

According to a report from Revenge of the Fans, Ben Affleck knew that Reeves wanted to make a Batman film with a younger version of the character, but the actor and some people within Warner Bros. had devised a way to service both those wanting Affleck to return, as well as those wanting a new actor.

Instead of playing the character for the whole film, Affleck’s Old Man Batman would bookend the film, telling a story of his exploits as a younger man, with whoever they hire to take on the role. However, when this idea was brought to Reeves from the studio and Affleck, the director politely turned down the option, as he was concerned that the actor’s involvement would distract from the story he is attempting to tell.

READ MORE: Who Will Be Asked If They Want To Play Batman Next? Sorry, I’m Actually Not Available

Obviously, this is all rumored at this point, as we really don’t know much about “The Batman” even though filming is supposed to happen in 2019. But it does appear that Affleck was interested in the idea of coming back, even in a glorified cameo.

It will be a nice change of pace when Reeves actually hires someone to don the cowl and cape for his film, that way we can finally put these rumors and speculation to rest. That might be pretty far off, though. The report also says that while filming is still scheduled for sometime in 2019, WB might hold off on releasing “The Batman” until 2121. But let’s be real, the studio is going to try to get this film released as soon as possible, as Batman is clearly the studios biggest superhero asset.

Cate Blanchett Makes The Leap To TV With The New FX Series ‘Mrs. America’

Cate Blanchett is joining the ranks of just about every major filmmaker and actor in the world and making the jump to prestige TV. And she has picked a pretty good group of collaborators to join her in the new FX series “Mrs. America.”

Deadline reports that Blanchett has signed on to play Phyllis Schlafly, a conservative woman who unexpectedly opposed the attempts to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). “Mrs. America” will explore how the culture war in the ‘70s, which also included feminists Gloria Steinem, Betty Friedan, Shirley Chisholm, Bella Abzug, and Jill Ruckelshaus, led to the rise of the Moral Majority and changed the US political landscape forever.

READ MORE: FX CEO Warns Of Too Many Scripted Series And “Too Much Narrative” As He Announces New Drama ‘Shōgun’

“Mrs. America” comes from writer Dahvi Waller, who is probably best known for working on acclaimed series like “Mad Men” and “Halt and Catch Fire.” She will also produce and showrun the upcoming FX series. Oscar-nominated producer Stacey Sher, who worked on “Django Unchained” and “Erin Brockovich” will also join the series, along with producer Coco Francini.

“I feel privileged to have this opportunity to collaborate with Dahvi, Stacey and Coco under the robust and fearless FX umbrella. I am extremely excited about delving into the material as there couldn’t be a more appropriate time to peel back the layers of this recent period of history, which couldn’t be more relevant today,” said Blanchett.

READ MORE: FX CEO Breaks Down 4 Streaming Services That Will Dominate & Warns Of “Biggest Hangover” For TV Industry

Sher said, “We are extremely fortunate to be making this series with the fearless John Landgraf and the incredible team at FX, who never flinch in the face of provocative subject matter. This country has literally been discussing women’s rights for over 100 years and this story is as timely and relevant to the times we live in as it was during the tumultuous and passionate period in which it took place.”

Blanchett was recently seen in two major films in 2018, “The House with a Clock in Its Walls” and “Ocean’s 8.” She’ll next be seen in the Richard Linklater-directed 2019 film, “Where’d You Go Bernadette.”

No release date has been set for “Mrs. America.”

‘Head Full Of Honey’ Trailer: Get Tissues Ready For Nick Nolte & Matt Dillon’s Film About Alzheimer’s

There are awards contender films that excite you and thrill you (“First Man”). There are some that challenge you (“Suspiria”). There are even awards contenders that tackle important issues and subject matter (“If Beale Street Could Talk,” “Green Book,” “Beautiful Boy,” and “Boy Erased”). Then we have some of these late-fall prestige release films that are vying for Oscar consideration that seem to only want to make you sob like a blubbering mess in the theater. That appears to be where “Head Full of Honey” firmly rests.

READ MORE: Is ‘Green Book’ The Not-So-Secret Best Picture Sleeper? [Contender Countdown]

In the first trailer for the upcoming drama “Head Full of Honey,” we meet an older man played by Nick Nolte, who after the passing of his wife, begins to become the victim of Alzheimer’s disease. His son, played by Matt Dillon, is endlessly trying to figure out how to help his father’s rapidly developing illness. However, it’s the man’s granddaughter (Sophie Lane Nolte), who comes up with a plan that will pull at your heartstrings. The young lady believes that bringing her grandfather to Venice, reliving the moment he met his wife, will help slow down the disease and help him remember.

“Head Full of Honey” comes from director Til Schweiger. The filmmaker is also the writer-director of the German film of the same name. Schweiger joins a list of international directors assigned to helm the English-language remake of their award-winning film. Most recently, this happened with Sebastián Lelio, who directed “Gloria Bell” after directing the award-winning “Gloria.”

“Head Full of Honey” is set to make its debut in theaters on November 30.

Here’s the synopsis for the film:

Matilda (Sophie Lane Nolte) tries to help her grandfather, Amadeus (Nick Nolte), who is suffering from Alzheimer’s, to navigate his forgetfulness, and ends up going on a remarkable adventure with him.

Robin Wright Calls Final ‘House Of Cards’ Scene “Delicious” And Talks Original Plans Before Kevin Spacey’s Firing

In the United States, Election Day is approaching on November 6 (definitely do go out and vote). However, before then, viewers are getting a brand new POTUS, albeit on the small screen. On November 2, the sixth and final season of “House of Cards” hits Netflix, and viewers are being introduced to their newest President of the United States — Claire Underwood, played by Robin Wright.

And even though many might say this move of elevating Wright to the headline position is a knee-jerk reaction to Kevin Spacey’s dismissal from the show, following sexual assault claims, Wright wants everyone to know that the way “House of Cards” ends is the same way it was planned, before Frank Underwood’s untimely death.

READ MORE: ‘House Of Cards’ Final Trailer: Claire Underwood Now Reigns And You Should Be Very Scared

In a new interview with Variety, Wright spoke openly about the new season of ‘Cards’ and why she was adamant on continuing the series, even after the firing of the series’ star. “I was just like, ‘No, no, no. It’s not right. This is a job, and we’re going to finish it out as we intended,’” says Wright, when asked about ending the series after Spacey’s firing.

She added, “I was so happy that Netflix and MRC collectively decided to give the fans a true closure of this show, and finish it off the way we had always intended.”

Now, the way the series was “intended” to end is a little different than what fans are going to see on Netflix. Namely, in the original planned ending of ‘Cards,’ Frank Underwood wasn’t killed off-screen (by the way, his demise is still only being hinted at as maybe more than just an unfortunate occurrence).

“My story, Claire’s story, was always going to be separate because he was moving into the private sector and she was going to be president,” Wright reveals. “They were going to be living in separate territories, like two separate shows. So none of that changed, really.”

READ MORE: Script For Kevin Spacey’s ‘Gore’ Biopic Shows Why Netflix Abandoned The Just-Wrapped Film

So, it appears that instead of two separate ‘Cards’ storylines, a la “Game of Thrones,” Claire gets to take center stage and her story was elevated as the main plot, while Frank is…well, dead.

She also spoke about filming the final episode, and thus the ending, of the series, which Wright also directed. The actress called the final moment “delicious.” Netflix VP of content Cindy Holland went into a little more detail, saying, “I think it’s a really fitting end for Claire Underwood. I think it’ll be a little bit polarizing. But that’s what makes great drama.”

READ MORE: Kevin Spacey’s ‘Billionaire Boys Club’ Posts Ridiculously Low $618 Opening Weekend

For those “House of Cards” fans that are still wondering about the possibility of spin-offs, then you’ll be sad to know that nothing is planned at this time. There was one point when Netflix entertained the idea of spinning off Frank’s chief of staff Doug Stamper into his own series, but that doesn’t appear to be in the cards any longer. Actor Michael J. Kelly, who plays Stamper, says, “We went well down the road on [the potential spin-off]. I would’ve liked to have played him more, but when they decided not to do that, I was really OK with it. I felt like I had done him justice, and it was an incredibly rewarding experience.”

It sure does sound like “House of Cards” is going to end in shocking fashion, as you might expect, when the series debuts on Netflix on November 2.

Ava DuVernay “Honored” And “Grateful” To Direct A New Prince Documentary For Netflix

Even though Prince was one of the most iconic musicians of the last 40 years, the man himself was a bit of a mystery up until his death in 2016. Prince not only had dozens of hits and starred in multiple films, but according to reports, the reclusive musical genius also created thousands of works that were kept in a vault and never released. Needless to say, there’s plenty about the musician we have yet to learn. And that’s where Ava DuVernay comes in, with her latest documentary project.

READ MORE: Elizabeth Banks To Star In Film About The True Story Of A Woman Who Won A Date With Prince

Deadline has revealed that DuVernay, the award-winning filmmaker behind “Selma” and “13th,” has signed on to direct a new documentary about Prince for the streaming service Netflix. Apparently, the director was handpicked by the late-singer’s estate to helm the project, as Prince was supposedly a huge fan of DuVernay’s work and had previously contacted her about collaborating on a project before his death.

The report says that the filmmaker has already begun filming on the project, and has gained previously-unheard of access to Prince’s Paisley Park estate and the aforementioned vault, which is said to contain thousands of songs, films, and videos that the singer decided to never release.

“Prince was a genius and a joy and a jolt to the senses,” said DuVernay. “He was like no other. He shattered every preconceived notion, smashed every boundary, shared everything in his heart through his music. The only way I know how to make this film is with love. And with great care. I’m honored to do so and grateful for the opportunity entrusted to me by the estate.”

READ MORE: Felicity Huffman, Jharrel Jerome & Jovan Adepo Join Ava DuVernay’s ‘Central Park Five’

As previously mentioned, DuVernay is the acclaimed filmmaker behind the Martin Luther King, Jr. biopic “Selma,” but she also received incredible critical acclaim for her previous Netflix documentary feature “13th,” which took a deep dive into the US prison system and the nation’s history of racial inequality. That film earned DuVernay an Oscar nomination.

No word on a release date for the untitled Prince doc, but with production already begun, hopefully, we’ll see it sooner than later.

‘Boy Erased’ Trailer: Filmmaker Joel Edgerton Shines A Light On Those Being Held In Conversion Therapy In America

Joel Edgerton is probably best known for his acting career, with major roles in films like “Warrior” and “Zero Dark Thirty.” But back in 2015, the actor turned into an acclaimed filmmaker with “The Gift,” a thriller he wrote, directed, and starred in. That film led many to take notice of Edgerton not just as a go-to tough guy in films, but as one of the best up-and-coming directors around. And with “Boy Erased,” the filmmaker has taken a bit of a left-turn with his next project, but it appears he’s only gotten better behind the camera.

In the latest trailer for “Boy Erased,” viewers get more into the story of a young teen who comes out as gay to his preacher father and conservative mother. Based on a true story, the young Jared is sent to a conversion therapy center that will help him “choose” to be straight once again. As you might expect, Jared can’t just stop being who he is, which leads to conflict at the conversion therapy center and forces his parents to make tough choices about whether or not they accept their son as he is.

Interestingly enough, the trailer, while it does promote the film, ends on a somber note, showing a truly alarming statistic — 77,000 people are currently behind held in conversion therapy centers. It appears that Edgerton is not only attempting to tell the heartbreaking and emotional story of a young man discovering himself but also about an epidemic that seems to have only gotten worse over the years.

“Boy Erased” stars Lucas Hedges, Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe, Joel Edgerton, Cherry Jones, Michael “Flea” Balzary, Xavier Dolan, and singer Troye Sivan (who also contributes an original song to the film).

“Boy Erased” hits select theaters on November 2, and will expand nationwide in the weeks to follow.

Here’s the official synopsis:

“Boy Erased” tells the courageous story of Jared Eamons (Hedges), the son of a Baptist pastor in a small American town, who must overcome the fallout of being outed to his parents (Kidman and Crowe). His parents struggle with reconciling their love for their son with their beliefs. Fearing a loss of family, friends, and community, Jared is pressured into attending a conversion therapy program. While there, Jared comes into conflict with its leader (Edgerton) and begins his journey to finding his own voice and accepting his true self.

Hulu Taps YouTube’s Heather Moosnick as SVP of Content Partnerships

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The Evil Within 2 Update May Make You Want Jump Back In For Halloween

Xbox Game Pass Adds Five New Titles In November

On Nov. 6, Grip: Combat Racing, which is already available on PC, will launch on the Xbox One, as well as the PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch. It gets a leg up on the Xbox One, though, because it will be included at no extra charge as part of the Game Pass service. For those unfamiliar with Game Pass, you fork over 10 bucks a month in order to download and play as many games as you can manage to squeeze in. Microsoft is constantly rotating new titles in, too, coupling older hits like Dead Island and Resident Evil 6 with their own first party titles like Gears of War 4 and Sea of Thieves.

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Destiny 3 Could Be A Much Darker Game

When it comes to telling stories, video games oftentimes try to veer toward a more upbeat tone, even in dark, gritty, depressing games. It's rare that a video game goes dark and stays dark with its story, but Destiny 3 could be one such game, according to the latest rumors surrounding the unannounced title.

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Arrested Development Will Probably Be Cancelled On Netflix After Season 5

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Rent Live, An Updated Cast List

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Why Disney Not Pushing Avengers: Infinity War For The Oscars Is A Huge Mistake

If Daddy's Home 3 Happens, The Director Has A Really Fun Idea

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Will And Jada Pinkett Smith Had A Break-Up Within Their Marriage

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How The Photo Of Justin Bieber Eating A Burrito Was Faked

Last week, the Internet quickly became obsessed with a random snapshot of Justin Bieber chewing on a burrito in an unconventional way. To be more specific, a photo of the pop singer in a pink hoodie opting to eat a scrumptious burrito down the middle -- instead of grubbing on either the front or back end -- started floating across the web a few days ago. As you would expect, it became a contentious viral sensation. There was no shortage of debates about the matter. Even Chrissy Teigen and Chipotle weighed in her thoughts on the trending topic. But it turns out, we were all fooled. Apparently, the famous Bieber photo was completely faked. Now, the folks behind the fake photo explain how they got away with tricking the Internet.

In the video explaining how they made a contentious viral Internet sensation, the people over at Yes Theory admit the Justin Bieber photo was completely staged, and it involved a Justin Bieber lookalike. The video team admit that "engineering a story" was something they always wanted to do, and this doctored photo -- in which the pop singer appears to be eating a burrito the way one would typically eat corn on the cob -- was the way the Yes Theory team set out to fool the Internet and make a viral sensation completely out of thin air. They've never done something like it before, they say.

Now, faked controversies on the Internet are certainly not new. There are a variety of examples, including a few from prominent figures like Nathan Fielder and Jimmy Kimmel, which have taken the Internet by storm unwittingly, only for the egg to be on everyone's else's face. But it's not easy to fool the Internet. Proper staging and planning were necessary in order to pull it off. That included making everything from the hair to the sunglasses to the wardrobe seem authentic. Long clothes were necessary to cover up the parts of the body littered with tattoos on Justin Bieber's figure. Special consideration was made to the angle of the photo, as it was imperative to have it from the side in order to make it look like it actually Justin Bieber.

There were two attempts made to make the faux Justin Bieber antics go viral. One involved walking a grandma across the street, the other involved the now-infamously unorthodox way in which Justin Bieber chose to chow down on his burrito. It was slow going at first, apparently, as it didn't become an Internet sensation overnight as the video team hoped. It wasn't until the team went to certain subreddit channels that the picture began to take the web by storm. In true Internet fashion, the photo quickly began to blow up, creating several articles, headlines, talk show debates and more all in a matter of hours.

Check out the video explaining how the Justin Bieber burrito hoax went down below.

While there were some people who figured out the image was fake (the hair appears to be a giveaway), most of the Internet was ultimately fooled by the online antics, and the guys behind the prank ate the whole thing up like, well, the way the Justin Bieber imposter ate his burrito in an unconventional way. And it is yet another example of how the Internet was duped into believing something fake right in front of their eyes. What can you believe anymore?

Louis C.K. Stand-Up Appearance At Manhattan’s Comedy Cellar Protested

Louis C.K.’s first advertised stand-up performance at Manhattan’s Comedy Cellar Monday night drew two protesters, lots of tweets and a fairly lukewarm sorta-review in The New York Times.

Though there was talk that C.K. would return to the Cellar tonight, his name is not listed on the comedy club’s website roster.

“We’ve taken a lot of criticism for surprising people with his unannounced performances,” said Comedy Cellar owner Noam Dworman to The New York Times culture writer Sopan Deb. “I’m afraid now we will be criticized for the opposite.”

C.K.’s two Monday evening sets at the Greenwich Village club were not his first since the sexual harassment allegations that torpedoed his career, but they were the first announced by the comedy club on the sign outside.

And while the New York Post tweeted that protestors “descended” on the gig, Deb, who was there, provides a considerably less dramatic account: Two apparently unrelated protestors picketed the club, one carrying a sign reading “When you support Louis C.K., you tell women your laughter is more important than their sexual assaults and loss of their careers.” The other sign read: “Does this sign make you uncomfortable, Louie?”

According to Deb, C.K. opened his set asking, “So what kind of year have you guys had?”

Other C.K. observations: “They tell you that when you get in trouble you find out who your real friends are. It’s black people, it turns out. They’ll stick by you.” Telling the audience that he lost $35 million in an hour, C.K. said, “I need to make jokes because I need an income,” and “Hard things, you survive them or you don’t. I think even hell you can survive. Hell is not that bad. I’ve been there.”

The Times culture writer continued: “The rest of his set veered from raunchy to observational. There were no hecklers. He often consulted his notes, and mentioned that he had worked on the material ‘all year.’ He asked the audience if anyone ever wondered how many sexual partners their mothers had and he discussed how much he enjoyed ice cream.”

Outside of the club, one of the protestors told Deb, “Frankly, I was furious. Every female comedian he has harmed deserves a place on the Comedy Cellar stage one hundred times before he should be allowed back on the stage.”

Though Comedy Central recently greenlighted a This Week At The Comedy Cellar stand-up series, C.K. is not expected to be featured.

‘Boy Erased’ Trailer: Family Ties Tug Hardest At Heart Of Conversion-Therapy Drama

Ahead of its platform release Friday comes a new trailer for Focus Features’ Boy Erased, the drama written and directed by Joel Edgerton based on Garrard Conley’s memoir about coming out to his Southern Baptist parents who sent him to conversion-therapy camp. Lucas Hedges stars alongside Oscar winners Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe in the pic, which has been building up steam since its fall-festival debut at Telluride, then Toronto.

Hedges plays Jared Eamons, the son of a Baptist pastor in a small American town, who must overcome the fallout of being outed to his parents, who struggle with reconciling their love for their son with their beliefs. Fearing a loss of family, friends, and community, Jared is pressured into attending a conversion therapy program. While there, Jared comes into conflict with its leader (Edgerton) and begins his journey to finding his own voice and accepting his true self.

Cherry Jones, Flea, Xavier Dolan, Troye Sivan, Joe Alwyn, Emily Hinkler, Jesse LaTourette, David Joseph Craig, Théodore Pellerin, Madelyn Cline and Britton Sear co-star. Steve Golin, Kerry Kohansky-Roberts and Edgerton are producers.

Edgerton told Deadline in Toronto that his aim was to “share the movie with as many people as possible” who still believe in the controversial practice of conversion therapy. “It offers an empathetic point of view of the people running intuitions like that,” he said. “I don’t think people wake up in the morning and go, ‘Right, I’m going to mess up some more kids.’ ”

The new trailer, released today, includes in its final frames a website tied to the film that includes resources to protect LGBQT youth from conversion practices.

Check out the trailer above.

‘Grown-ish’, ‘Good Trouble’ Stars Encourage Voters To “March To The Polls” For Midterm Elections

In an effort to encourage young voters to use their voice and vote, Freeform has partnered with ATTN: for the “March to the Polls” campaign which includes actors from shows such as grown-ish and the forthcoming Fosters spinoff Good Trouble.

The PSA campaign includes Freeform talent Maia Mitchell, Cierra Ramirez, Deon Cole, Trevor Jackson, Chloe & Halle Bailey, and more talk about how voter wait time during the 2016 presidential election was only an average of 11 minutes. They share some of the menial things everyone does on a daily basis that take 11 minutes — and encourage viewers to take the time to vote on November 6 during the Midterm Elections.

Freeform will also dedicate its on-air promo time on November 6, to amplify information about polling locations and deadlines to vote. In addition, at the 11-minute mark of all programming throughout the day, a reminder will pop-up on television screens reminding viewers to get out and vote. Freeform is leading by example and will encourage their staff to take time off and vote on November 6.

This campaign embraces Freeform’s commitment to its tagline “a little forward,” which continues to set itself apart from other content platforms by reinforcing stories that energize and empower young adults to embrace their voices and celebrate the power of possibility and inclusivity.

Founder Leslie Greif Exits Thinkfactory Media, Adam Reed Named CEO

Forest Whitaker To Star In David E. Talbert’s Netflix Holiday Family Musical ‘Jingle Jangle’

EXCLUSIVE: Forest Whitaker has been set by Netflix to star in Jingle Jangle, the David E. Talbert-directed holiday musical about a cobblestone world that comes to life.  Whitaker will play Jeronicus Jangle, a once-great inventor and toy maker who has lost his belief in himself and his inventions, but stumbles upon a second chance and a magical invention, when his granddaughter comes to town for the holidays. If he can get the thing to work in time for the holidays, it will change their lives forever.

The Oscar-winning actor is coming off Black Panther, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Arrival. He previously starred opposite Theo James in Netflix’s How It Ends, and this fall he plays crime boss Bumpy Johnson in the EPIX series Godfather Of Harlem. He also recently made his Broadway debut in the Michael Grandage-directed Hughie.

Talbert set Jingle Jangle at Netflix late last year in a pitch deal and he’s written a script that Netflix scheduled to start shooting in 2019. The film will be released by Netflix in 2020. The filmmaker is coming off Almost Christmas and El Camino Christmas, latter for Netflix. Talbert is currently in development on an original half-hour comedy for ABC, produced by LeBron James and Gabrielle Union. He previously directed First Sunday and Baggage Claim.

The film is produced by Mike Jackson, John Legend, David E. Talbert, Lyn Sisson-Talbert, and David McIlvain. Ty Stiklorius is exec producer.

Whitaker is repped by WME and Brillstein Entertainment Group.

‘Gotham’: Jaime Murray Set For Key Role On Fox’s Batman Prequel

Dexter alumna Jaime Murray has been tapped for a key recurring role on the upcoming fifth and final season of Batman prequel drama series Gotham on Fox.

Murray will play Theresa Walker. The character emerges as Jim Gordon’s (Ben McKenzie) principal nemesis in the season, who comes to Gotham harboring a dark secret about her past.

Produced by Warner Bros. TV and based on characters from DC Comics, Gotham is executive produced by Bruno Heller, who developed the series, Danny Cannon and John Stephens. The series large ensemble cast includes McKenzie, Donal Logue, Morena Baccarin, Sean Pertwee, Robin Lord Taylor, Erin Richards, David Mazouz, Camren Bicondova, Cory Michael Smith, Jessica Lucas, Chris Chalk, Drew Powell, Alexander Siddig and Crystal Reed.

Murray is best known for her recurring role of Lila Tourney on Showtime’s Dexter, Dexter’s main lover and main antagonist during the hit show’s second season. Murray recently wrapped a recurring on ABC’s Upon A Time and will next be seen in a recurring on the CW’s The Originals. She previously starred as Stacie Monroe in Emmy-nominated BBC show Hustle and in BBC mini-series Spartacus: Gods of the Area. On the big screen, she recently starred in the lead role of Vamire Gerri in Fox’s Fright Night 2. Murray is repped by Gersh and LINK Entertainment.

Gotham’s fifth and final season premieres January 3, 2019 at 8/7c on Fox.

‘Fuller House’ Gets Season 4 Premiere Date On Netflix

Netflix has set December 14 for the Season 4 premiere of its hit spinoff Fuller House.  You can check out a video date announcement below the story.

Season 4 will pick up with Danny (Bob Saget), Joey (Dave Coulier), Jesse (John Stamos) and Rebecca (Lori Loughlin) all moving back to San Francisco and, of course, will follow Kimmy’s (Andre Barber) pregnancy.

Fuller House also stars Candace Cameron Bure, Jodie Sweetin, Juan Pablo Di Pace, Soni Nicole Bringas, Michael Campion, Elias Harger, Scott Weinger, John Brotherton, Ashley Liao and Dashiell and Fox Messitt as Baby Tommy.

The hit comedy series returns with Steve Baldikoski and Bryan Behar as new executive producers and showrunners. They replace Jeff Franklin who was let go amid allegations that he had been verbally abusive to staffers and made inappropriate comments in the writers room.

Baldikoski and Behar have both served as co-executive producers since the series launch in 2016. The pair previously served as co-executive producers on The New Adventures of Old Christine, 8 Simple Rules, Kirstie and Save Me, and as consulting producers on the series Last Man Standing, Jennifer Falls and others.

Whitey Bulger Dies: Mobster-Turned-Informant Inspired Film & TV Characters

‘The Voice’ Strongest In Monday Ratings; ‘The Good Doctor’ Edges ‘Wicked Halloween’

On a generally stable night, NBC’s The Voice (1.8 rating in the adults 18-49 demo, 9.33 million viewers) topped the Big 4 in in every key ratings way Monday, though it ticked down a tenth week-to-week in the demo.

After the singing competition, A Very Wicked Halloween special (1.0, 4.01M) couldn’t scare up Manifest-like stats in the slot, though it came in on par with NBC’s Monday 10 PM average last season in the demo.

ABC’s Dancing With the Stars (1.2, 8.32M) posted a two-tenths gain, as did The Good Doctor (1.3, 7.98M) returning from the prior week’s preemption, collectively sending the network to the top for the night in total viewers. Those results may adjust downward later in the day due to NFL preemptions in Boston and Buffalo.

CBS’ 8:30 PM Happy Together (0.8, 4.40M) slipped a tenth Monday while the rest of the network’s lineup stayed steady, including The Neighborhood (1.1, 6.13M) and Magnum, P.I. (0.8, 5.59M). With NBC giving Manifest the week off, CBS’ 10 PM Bull ticked up a tenth (0.9, 7.03M).

Fox’s 9-1-1 (1.4, 5.65M) climbed another tenth, building on its steady lead-in The Resident (1.0, 4.93M).

Week 2 of the CW’s DC’s Legends of Tomorrow (0.3, 970K) maintained last week’s OK season-premiere performance, coming out of Arrow (1.4, 1.16M).

NBC (1.5, 7.56M) topped the night in the demo, and ABC (1.3, 8.14M) won in total viewers. Fox (1.2, 5.29M) ranked No. 3 in demo, ahead of CBS (0.9, 5.79M) and CW (0.4, 1.06M).

‘Halloween’ Kills The Competition Again; ‘Suspiria’ Scores The Biggest Arthouse Opening Of 2018 [Box Office]

Despite a rather weak weekend for new releases, it was a terrific frame to release a horror film this weekend. Universal’s “Halloween” did drop 58% in its second week, but that’s not unheard of for horror, and the David Gordon Green-directed film still raked in another $32 million. This 2018 “Halloween” movie is already the highest grossing film of the series both domestically and worldwide and will soon even beat the original 1978 John Carpenter version when adjusted for inflation. Suffice to say, get ready for another onslaught wave of new sequels (David Gordon Green, please continue doing something different each time out, please).

READ MORE: ‘Halloween’ Franchise: All The Horror Movies Ranked

The movie has grossed $172 million worldwide, but internationally, it hasn’t crossed $50 million yet, and it’s likely not going to connect in a significant way; “Halloween” was just never huge outside the U.S. which is true for many horror properties.

READ MORE: Suspiria & 20 Of The Best, Most Spellbinding Witch Movies

On the flipside of the box office, horror had a great time at the arthouse box office as well. Luca Guadagnino’s incredibly chilling “Suspiria” grossed $179,806 from two screens for a whopping $89,903 per screen average—the highest of 2018 so far. Guadagnino now boasts two films within the top 25 of highest per-screen averages (“Call Me By Your Name” too). “Suspiria” expands into 250 screens next weekend and goes nationwide November 9. Interestingly enough, even though it’s an Amazon Prime movie, it won’t hit the streaming service until 2019 according to the movie’s prime page.

READ MORE: The Essentials: The Films Of John Carpenter [Full Retrospective]

Three new releases hit theaters this weekend— “Hunter Killer” “Johnny English Strikes Again” and “Indivisible“—and all of them had relatively mediocre openings (though to be fair, the latter two weren’t in more than 850 screens). A24’s “Mid90s,” Jonah Hill’s skate drama and directorial debut, expanded into 1,206, grossed $3 million and change and cracked the top 10.

Flipping back to the indie box office, the arthouse remained healthy with Neon Films’ “Border” and Well Go USA’s “Burning” ($71,565 from 7 screens, $10,224 PSA; $28,650 from 2 screens, $14,325 PSA). Frederick Wiseman’s “Monrovia, Indiana” also scored $6,100 this weekend from one screen.

Beyond new releases, “A Star Is Born” and “Venom” continue their domination and hold of the October box office. Bradley Cooper’s music drama continues its slow march to the Oscars (where it could take it all) and has grossed nearly $150 million domestically and $255 million globally. Dropping only -25.8% in weekend four, it appears this movie is not going anywhere soon. Meanwhile, “Venom,” the antihero superhero movie everyone thought would bomb has crossed the $500 million mark worldwide ($508M), and while many doubted if the film could slither its way to a sequel, that seems like a certainty right now. The Tom Hardy-led movie is closing in on $200 million domestically too and had another solid -40.1% hold.

Meanwhile, Universal’s critically acclaimed astronaut drama “First Man” is still struggling. It’s made just as much money abroad as it has domestically—odd for a movie that’s about a quintessentially American achievement and moment in history— and has hit $74 million worldwide, but hasn’t been able to crack $40 million in three weekends. The movie’s grosses could all change come awards season—it’s a movie expected to get nominations in many major categories—but at this point, it’ll never reach the box office heights of its director’s previous effort “La La Land” ($446M globally)

Other notables: You can probably say goodbye to Fox‘s “Bad Times At The El Royale.” In week three, the Drew Goddard film dropped nearly 60%, has fallen out of the top 10, and hasn’t been able to crack $17 million yet. And wow, the climbing documentary “Free Solo” has quietly made $5.1 million so far and hasn’t been on more than 394 screens at one time so far. Would-be Oscar contenders like Amazon‘s “Beautiful Boy” and Annapurna‘s “The Sisters Brothers” are floundering. The latter is still quietly growing but doesn’t seem to have made the kind of big dent the studio was hoping for (Timothee Chalamet still has hopes though). The latter cost $32 million, dropped -64% this weekend and only made $271K this weekend. It’s a terrific film, one of the year’s best, but having only grossed $2.7 million so far, “The Sisters Brothers” may end up one of the biggest indie flops of the year.

1. Halloween —  $32,045,000 ($$126,698,400)
2. A Star is Born —$14,145,000 ($148,722,400)
3. Venom — $10,800,000 ($187,282,314)
4.Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween —$7,500,000 ($38,348,809)
5. Hunter Killer  —$6,650,000
6. The Hate U Give — $6,650,000 – ($18,300,005)
7.  First Man —$4,935,000 ($37,880,080)
8. Small Foot — $4,750,000 ($72,591,050)
9. Night School — $3,255,000 ($71,451,025)
10.Mid90s — $3,000,000 ($3,350,170)

‘Haunting Of Hill House’: Horror Hits Home With Netflix’s Moving, Eerie Series [Review]

One of the most common staples in the horror genre is the haunted house. Those austere, alarming Amityville of books, film and television, where unsuspecting families must deal with supernatural surprises and malevolent maladies that bleed through the walls, jump out at the most inopportune times and reveal deep, dark secrets about the haunt’s surroundings, the characters in the labyrinth and, really, about ourselves in the audience.

READ MORE: The 10 Best Final Girls In Horror Movies

Family-based horror also seems to be the spook du jour for 2018 —Ari Aster‘s A24 chiller “Hereditary” already terrorized audiences this summer with little mouth clicks, little ants and miniature houses. In that suffocating work, Aster postured that, sometimes, you can’t run from your past, and you certainly can’t run from your family.

In Netflix’s new haunted house horror-drama “The Haunting of Hill House,” ascending genre talent Mike Flanagan (“Gerald’s Game” and “Ouija: Origin of Evil“) takes Aster’s idea of the inescapable bonds to a family’s past and massages it out a bit. Rather than leading a fraught flock through a maze of contempt and paralyzing predestination, Flanagan wants to look at what happens after you’re haunted by the house and how you choose to get over it and reconcile with those you were haunted with. Oh, they both have those creepy little miniatures, too.

Of course, you know the Hill House from its ’50s novel, and subsequent film adaptations, which were more direct takes on author Shirley Jackson‘s work. Here, Flanagan tries to expand and deepen the central themes from the novel and place them into the familial unit. The refreshed Crain family dips and dives between its early-’90s haunting and the present-day consequences of the events that claimed their mother (Carla Gugino) and fractured the relationships the Crain children had with each other and with their father Hugh (Henry Thomas then, Timothy Hutton now).

Steven, the eldest Crain (Michiel Huisman now, Paxton Singleton then), took his family’s history and capitalized off of it to become a noted horror writer. His most famous work? It’s about that night at Hill House, which creates sizable friction among the siblings for the liberties he took. Older sister Shirley (a layered performance for both Elizabeth Reaser and Lulu Wilson in flashbacks) runs a funeral home with her husband and lives adjacent. Sister Theodora (Kate Siegel, Mckenna Grace as a child, both perfect for their roles) lives in Shirley’s guest house and works as a child therapist (and also has supernatural powers). Younger brother Luke (Oliver Jackson-Cohen in the present, aptly-named, aptly-cast Julian Hilliard in the past) takes to drugs to cope with his childhood trauma and is in and out of rehab facilities. None are particularly close.

The series follows each of these four siblings, along with Luke’s twin sister Nelle (Victoria Pedretti now, Violet McGraw then, both effective in showing the fear and innocence of the character), who drives the show’s narrative after a tragedy befalls her.

Flanagan weaves from past to present to past once more to draw out of a deep well who these characters are, what ails them and what they must do to find the balm they so desperately seek. Though this is a show about ghosts (quite literally, both the grim *and* grinning variety), dark hallways and a central horror that gets a lot of carnivorous comparisons, it’s also a show about the frailty and forge of the family in crisis. Flanagan and his writing team have a deft ear for writing characters who feel as much as they scare, which allows this series to transcend past a genre where the shocks are well-known.

The ensemble does exactly what Flanagan needs it to do. Specifically, Huisman goes past the traditional supernatural skeptic to pry at why his Steven ticks as he does, Gugino carries the weight of the past’s sinking ends in one of her best roles to date, both Thomas and Hutton give what could’ve been the stereotypical “flawed horror father” character a shade of wilted hope and remorse and, in perhaps the series’ best performance, Jackson-Cohen breathes a sorrow and heart into his older Luke that grounds the show emotionally and in maturity. His slice of the narrative, “The Twin Thing,” is the series’ richest, saddest and scariest installment, for reasons past haunts and ghosts.

Mental illness comes up aplenty here (the apologetic for Steven’s rationale for his family’s plight), and it’s a rather progressive take on what long has been a cheap, irresponsible straw man in horror. Rather than spook audiences into being afraid of it by trapping folks in mental hospitals or cutely flapping the diseases as coveralls for why bad guys do bad things, there’s an empathy and understanding for the horrors that are at play here that should be the new standard in how these ideas are treated in a genre meant to scare people.

Flanagan gets that, in and of itself, mental illness can be a bad, scary, damaging thing, but that those inflicted with it deserve utmost understanding and love, and can always overcome. He treats addiction the same way and casts a judgmental light on the siblings who dwindle in patience Luke’s attempt at sincere recovery. This is how you represent these ideas in visual media.

Now, the show does struggle a bit with that to-and-fro chronology, in its pacing and story development. Flanagan bit off a lot to chew here, and it stands to reason that the show might’ve been better off at a tighter eight-episode run (not every installment lands as it should). It’s also not going to exactly satiate those who want cheap jump scares 24/7, though the series’ main ghost, the Bent-Neck Lady, will creep your dreams for at least a night or two after the show’s over, as will the, well, haunting production design of Hill House. Would it have been nice to learn a little more about the history of the house and its haunted walls? Sure, though Flanagan gives you plenty extra elsewhere with the narrative.

It’s not really custom for a show about a haunted house and its terrified tenants to be one of the more moving pieces of television in a calendar year, but Flanagan makes it so. “The Haunting of Hill House” rewards those who aren’t afraid to confront their own ghosts, those bumps in the past that still linger, and head back to where it all began. It’s absolutely worth booking a room. [B+]

The Endurance Of ‘Halloween’: How John Carpenter’s Horror Became A Classic

40 years have passed since the original “Halloween” shocked and terrified audiences in theaters. The horror classic, directed by John Carpenter, has stood the test of time and delivers spine-chilling scares with every watch. The original spawned countless sequels, and critics have lauded the 2018 version for its connection to the original and homages. But what is it about “Halloween” that makes it endure and still keep us up at night?

READ MORE: ‘Halloween’ Franchise: All The Horror Movies Ranked

A new video essay from Fandor addresses these very questions. “Halloween” is not just an exceptional film or representation of the power in the horror genre. “Halloween” paved the way for future slasher films like “Friday The 13th” and “A Nightmare On Elm Street.” It took horror tropes and popularized them without feigning or overdoing them. The film made a lasting impact by creating the formula used and commentated on years later.

READ MORE: The 10 Best Final Girls In Horror Movies

But of course, one of the major components of the “Halloween” endurance is its primal, yet nerve-inducing score, which Carpenter wrote. It’s a minimalist tune that dominantly sticks with audiences when the credits roll. Having been told the film wasn’t scary enough following a screening, Carpenter wrote the theme, and the rest is horror-movie-history.

READ MORE: The Essentials: The Films Of John Carpenter [Full Retrospective]

Along with the chilling, minor-keyed theme is the simplicity of the story itself and one of the most memorable horror heroines of all time. While the sequels tried to add further unnecessary layers to the horrors of the boogeyman, “Halloween” is a spare, easily described story. There’s nothing to else to get in the way of whom amongst the cast we are meant to identify (Laurie) and who the antagonist is (Michael). The film forces audiences to focus on a singular, terrifying object and of course, the way the movie uses an eerily voyeuristic point of view cinematically is breathtakingly frightening.

With Carpenter’s craft of long takes and scares, “Halloween” remains a classic film. Its story is clear and concise, with an accompanying score that stays with you, even after 40 years.