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EXCLUSIVE : Michelle Buteau is set to star in a comedy series for Netflix based on her book of essays Survival of the Thickest . The comedian, who hosts the streamer’s reality series The Circle and starred in feature film Always Be My Maybe , created the series with Danielle Sanchez-Witzel, showrunner of NBC’s The Carmichael Show and co-exec producer of New Girl. The streamer has handed the series, also titled Survival of the Thickest, an eight-episode order. It comes from A24, which is behind series such as Hulu’s Ramy and HBO’s Euphoria . Survival of the Thickest centers on Mavis Beaumont, played by Buteau. Black, plus-size and newly single, Mavis unexpectedly finds herself having to rebuild her life after putting all her eggs in one man’s basket, but she’s determined to not only survive but thrive with the support of her chosen family, a positive attitude, and a cute v-neck with some lip gloss. Buteau and Sanchez-Witzel, who will serve as … [Read more...] about Michelle Buteau Lands Comedy Series ‘Survival Of The Thickest’ At Netflix As Part Of Expanded Relationship

With the Winter Olympics set to begin next week in Beijing, a U.S. State Department human rights report paints a chilling picture of censorship, violence against reporters, and the suppression of dissent during the last Olympic Games held there. Even the Olympic torch relay was censored at the Beijing summer games of 2008 when dissidents protesting China ’s occupation of Tibet were forcibly removed from the route by police, allegedly for their own protection. During the 2022 games, viewers from around the world will be seeing a sanitized version of life in the People’s Republic of China, but not nearly as scrubbed as the version that will be shown to the people of China. When the summer Olympics were held there in 2008, China’s Communist government tightened its grip on dissent and the free flow of information in the days leading up to and during the games. Foreign reporters were officially granted greater freedoms, but the government-controlled press wasn’t even allowed to … [Read more...] about U.S. State Dept. Report Details Censorship & Quashing Of Dissent During Last Olympic Games In China

EXCLUSIVE : Chris Evans ( Avengers franchise, Defending Jacob ) is set to star opposite Dwayne Johnson in an upcoming holiday event film from Amazon Studios . The film, which is currently titled Red One , aims to shoot this year. It is a globe-trotting, four-quadrant action-adventure comedy imagining a whole new universe to explore within the holiday genre. Plot specifics are under wraps. The project stems from an original story by Seven Bucks Productions’ President of Production Hiram Garcia that Amazon Studios landed after a competitive bidding war last year. Jake Kasdan ( Jumanji franchise) is directing from a screenplay by Seven Bucks Productions’ frequent collaborator Chris Morgan, who previously worked with them on such titles as Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw , The Fate of the Furious , Furious 7 , Fast & Furious 6 and Fast Five . Kasdan is producing through his production company The Detective Agency alongside Melvin … [Read more...] about ‘Red One’: Chris Evans To Star Opposite Dwayne Johnson In Amazon’s Holiday Action-Comedy From Director Jake Kasdan

Park Seo Joon is all set to make his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut with the upcoming film The Marvels. He had confirmed his appearance in the film with a statement in 2021. In his recent vlog on Youtube, the actor teased that he was in London to film the project and shared glimpses from his trip. While he did not reveal any details from the filming, he revealed that he had to wake up early for his 5 am shoot. In the video, he said, "I usually get up at 4:30, get ready and leave for the filming set at around 5:00. It is around 8:30 by the time I get back home from filming. It's been two weeks since we started filming. As I've got some free time, I thought I'll record a video." The Witcher Actor Henry Cavill To Enter MCU With Captain Marvel 2? The clip also gave a glimpse of the room he was staying in and the view from there. He also revealed that on his day off shooting he visited the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to watch a football match. "By the way, the … [Read more...] about Park Seo Joon Worked 15 Hours A Day On MCU Film The Marvels, Took At Least 20 COVID Tests

Opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not reflect the views of Rolling Stone editors or publishers. I remember the first time I saw Annie , I was 10 years old, and it drew me in. The story was one to remember, but the music always stayed with me. Seeing the journey of the orphan brought to life through song and dance evoked an emotional response in me that is still ingrained deep in my memory. As someone who writes fiction in the digital era, I recently thought to myself: How can you translate the elements of a story and bring it to audiences in a new way? A way that will stick with them, the way Annie has stuck with me all of these years? I found my answer in a new medium: a musical podcast. Beyond a Simple Audiobook This understanding led me to create my first musical podcast, “Shadow Realm,” which came on the heels of a middle-grade fiction novel I had written for Indian audiences. The story was well-received, and it prompted me to wonder: What if I … [Read more...] about Turning a Novel Into a Musical Podcast

This week in rock history the Band played their first gig, Rage Against The Machine battled SNL , the world mourned Ryan White, Nirvana debuted “ Smells Like Teen Spirit ” and Neil Young mocked sell-out rock stars. April 17th, 1969: The Band perform their first ever concert as the Band The Band had been playing together since the early Sixties when they were booked to play San Francisco’s Winterland Ballroom in April of 1969, but they were terrified before going on stage. They hadn’t toured since they backed Bob Dylan on a tumultuous world tour in 1966, and in that time they went from anonymous backing musicians to one of the most acclaimed groups of the decade. Their debut album Music From Big Pink had hit stores the previous summer to universal acclaim and they were worried they’d be unable to live up to the hype. To make matters worse, guitarist Robbie Robertson was suffering from a 103-degree temperature on the evening of the show. They went on anyway, though … [Read more...] about This Week In Rock History: Nirvana Debut ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’

The Association of Film Commissioners International has launched “ Location Management 101 ,” an online training course developed in collaboration with the Location Managers Guild International . Billed as a course “for anyone who wants to understand the role and responsibilities of location managers working in film, TV, commercial, print and other types of media production,” it’s available on the AFCI University website and costs $150 for AFCI members and $300 for non-members. You can register here . The course covers a wide range of topics including location research, planning, scouting, budgeting, permitting, photography, laws & regulations, transportation, security and equipment. It also explains how to work effectively with the various entities involved in on-location production, including film commissions, property owners, residents and businesses. The course also explores how location managers play a role in broader industry issues, such as workforce diversity … [Read more...] about ‘Location Management 101’ Online Training Course Set From Film Commissioner & Location Manager Groups

EXCLUSIVE : Peacock has opted not to renew Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol, an adaptation of The Da Vinci Code author’s 2009 novel, for a second season. “We were so proud to bring this action-packed mystery thriller to our members and enjoyed watching this compelling series unfold with a satisfying, complete story,” the streamer said Monday in a statement to Deadline. “We’re grateful to Dan Dworkin, Jay Beattie, Dan Brown, Brian Grazer and Ron Howard along with CBS Studios, Imagine Television and UTV for bringing this international bestselling novel to life.” The Lost Symbol, which will continue to be available on Peacock, originated as a 2020 NBC pilot. The project ultimately moved to sibling NBCUniversal streamer Peacock with a 10-episode series order and launched in September, with the finale released November 18. The show went full circle, with NBC giving the pilot a linear sampling on November 8, the first time the network has aired an episode of a Peacock original. … [Read more...] about ‘Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol’ Canceled By Peacock After One Season

NBC has given a formal pilot order to Langdon , a drama based on Dan Brown ’s best-selling thriller novel The Lost Symbol , as the network is wrapping up its pilot pickups. The project, from Imagine Television , CBS TV Studios and Universal Television, had been on track for a pilot order, having scored a big production commitment from NBC last summer. The pilot green light was given to a script by The Crossing creators Dan Dworkin & Jay Beattie. Originally Daniel Cerone had been attached to write the adaptation and penned a draft before departing the project during the development process last year, I hear. Brown, the producers and the network then brought in Dworkin and Beattie, who did their take on the material. Langdon follows the early adventures of famed Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon, who must solve a series of deadly puzzles to save his kidnapped mentor and thwart a chilling global conspiracy. Dworkin and Beattie executive … [Read more...] about ‘Langdon’ Drama Based On Dan Brown’s ‘Lost Symbol’ Gets NBC Pilot Order From Dan Dworkin, Jay Beattie & Imagine

EXCLUSIVE: We have the first big sale for the 2019-2020 broadcast development season. NBC has given a production commitment to Langdon , a drama based on Dan Brown’s thriller novel The Lost Symbol , from Daniel Cerone ( Motive, Constantine ), Imagine Television Studios , the TV arm of Ron Howard and Brian Grazer’s Imagine Entertainment, CBS TV Studios and Universal Television. Written and executive produced by Cerone, Langdon follows the early adventures of famed Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon, who finds himself pulled into a series of deadly puzzles when his mentor is kidnapped. The CIA forces him onto a task force where he uncovers a chilling conspiracy. Brown executive produces with Imagine TV Studios’ Grazer, Howard, Francie Calfo, Samie Falvey and Anna Culp. Imagine TV Studios, CBS TV Studios and Universal TV co-produce. The Last Symbol is the third Brown novel featuring the character of Langdon, following Angels & Demons and The Da Vinci … [Read more...] about NBC Nabs Robert Langdon Drama Based On Dan Brown’s ‘The Lost Symbol’ From Imagine With Big Commitment