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Everybody hurts — except for Nathan Caine. And yes, the soundtrack for “Novocaine” has a lot of fun with that fact.

Now in theaters, “Novocaine” follows Nathan (Jack Quaid), an assistant bank manager who has a genetic condition making it so that he is incapable of feeling physical pain. While that may sound like a superhero, it actually comes with significant risks, so he’s basically lived his life in a bubble.

That is, until Sherry (Amber Midthunder) comes along. He quickly falls for her, and when she’s taken hostage during a bank robbery, Nathan sets off on a mission to find her, no matter what pain he may endure along the way (and there is a lot).

You’ll definitely recognize some of the songs that accompany that journey, too.

Here are all the songs on the “Novocaine” soundtrack:

“Everybody Hurts” by R.E.M. “Silver Bells” by Andy Williams “Casual...

“Hacks” is expanding its cast for Season 4. Julianne Nicholson, Michaela Watkins and 11 others have been added to the Max original as guest stars.

Little is known about the roles five of these guest stars will be playing. Nicholson is best known for her roles in “Paradise” and “I, Tonya.” As for Watkins, she previously starred in “Casual” and “Search Party.” They will be joined by other guest stars Bresha Webb (“Run the World”) and Eric Balfour as well as Robby Hoffman, who previously wrote for “The Chris Gethard Show” and “Workin’ Moms.”

As for the remaining six, they will guest star as writers on Deborah Vance’s (Jean Smart) new late night show. Those new cast members include Danny Jolles (“Crazy Ex-Girlfriend”), Gavin Matts (“Slice of Life”), Grover Whitmore III (“The African Desperate”), Holmes (“Welcome to Flatch”), Jasmine Ashanti (“On My Block”), Katy Sullivan (“Dexter: New Blood”), Matt Oberg (“Sisters...

“Hacks” has added a handful of guest stars for its upcoming fourth season, including Julianne Nicholson and Michaela Watkins.

Bresha Webb, Robby Hoffman and Eric Balfour also join Season 4 of Max’s Emmy-winning comedy series.

“Hacks” stars Jean Smart as Deborah Vance, a veteran comedian who hires millennial writer Ava (Hannah Einbinder) to help revitalize her career. At the end of Season 3, Deborah finally achieves the dream that had long ago been taken from her: to become the first woman to host a show on late night. In Season 4, “Tensions rise as Deborah and Ava endeavor to get their late night show off the ground and make history doing it.”

Also joining the cast are Danny Jolles, Gavin Matts, Grover Whitmore, III, Holmes, Jasmine Ashanti, Katy Sullivan, Matt Oberg and Sandy Honig, who will play writers on Deborah’s new late night show. Max promises “exciting surprise cameos” as well.

Chappell Roan was a special guest at Elton John’s AIDS Foundation Oscars afterparty on Sunday night in West Hollywood. She performed an 11-song set and was joined by John for her renditions of “Pink Pony Club” and “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me.”

Roan opened the show as usual with her The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess single “Femininomenon,” and continued with album cuts “Naked in Manhattan” and “Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl.” She then performed a heartfelt cover of John’s 1970 staple “Your Song.”

The former CoSign continued her set with a handful of her hits: “Casual,” “Hot To Go!,” “Red Wine Supernova,” “Good Luck Babe!,” and “My Kink is Karma” before being joined by John onstage. John assumed his role behind the piano and the pair performed a passionate rendition of “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me.”

Finally, with...

2004’s A Ghost Is Born has a key place in Wilco’s mythology. Recorded at a time of personal turmoil for singer-songwriter Jeff Tweedy, it’s the first album they made after 2002’s era-defining, ante-upping Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, with all the expectations that came with that moment. For fans at the time, it felt like a chance to see if Wilco could sustain that high level of studio experimentation and emotional nuance.

We know now that they pulled it off. A Ghost Is Born wowed critics, won a Grammy, and...

It looks like High Potential is, once again, back to putting the case of Roman’s disappearance on the back burner. This series is amazing, but it’s playing a game of chicken with the audience.

Not that I’m complaining or anything, but a little consistency goes a long way. If you’re anything like this TV Fanatic, you like your loose ends wrapped up nicely in a bow.

High Potential has delivered one amazing episode after another with a cast of incredibly talented actors — not to mention writing that takes audiences on an emotional roller coaster.

(Disney/Carlos Lopez-Calleja)

What more could the executives at ABC need to give a knock-out series like this the go-ahead for another season? Hell, give High Potential a multiple-season renewal.

If for no other reason than for some assurance that we will see some of the hilarious characters introduced in High Potential Season 1 Episode 10 again.

Exclusive: Condé Nast, like all media players, has been forced to reimagine itself.

Over the past year, the company has laid off 5% of its staff, citing the impact of TikTok and other digital competition; reached a settlement with union members; and dealt with a decidedly choppy ad market.

Despite running that gauntlet, however, the media industry mainstay has notably not curtailed its ambitions to make a mark in film and television. In fact, the company is starting to see encouraging returns on its commitment to a print-to-screen pipeline. Condé Nast now has 14 projects in production or post-production set up with distributors like Amazon, Netflix, HBO and Warner Brothers, plus another 23 projects in development with independent financial backers.

Two titles just out this month are based on Vanity Fair pieces. Breath of Fire, a multi-part docuseries on HBO and Max, explores the multi-million-dollar Kundalini yoga industry and its scandalous leader Guru Jagat.

Chappell Roan‘s star has been on the rise, and with it her debut studio album “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess” has climbed gradually on the Billboard 200. Likewise, she has been climbing up Gold Derby’s racetrack odds chart for Album of the Year based on the combined predictions of our users. She’s now looking like a shoo-in for a nomination. But could she actually win?

As of August 26 “Midwest Princess” is at number-four on our Album of the Year chart with 21/2 odds. Just one week earlier on August 19 the album was ninth with 25/1 odds. A week before that on August 12 it was in 11th place with 30/1 odds. Currently predicting her to be nominated are 17 of our Top 24 Users, with two of them picking her to win. Meanwhile, 16 of our All-Star Top 24 say she’ll be nominated with one betting on her to win.

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Chappell Roan is opening up about her meteoric rise on the music charts and pop radio.

In Interview magazine, the 26-year-old pop star and drag queen speaks with Saturday Night Live castmember Bowen Yang about her whirlwind summer and making music as a queer artist.

“In the past, honestly, eight weeks, my entire life has changed,” Roan told Yang. “It’s been really emotional because I’m not just singing pop music, it’s automatically political because I’m gay.”

Yang shared some advice with the singer, who told the comedian she appreciated his guidance as she doesn’t know anyone “who’s going through this” and added that being recognized has been the biggest change. “I’ve never given a fuck about the charts or being on the radio, but it’s so crazy how industry people are taking me more seriously than before,” she said.

The “Good Luck,...

Exclusive: Vincent Kartheiser (Mad Men) and Laura Slade Wiggins (Shameless) have signed on to star alongside Landon Ashworth (Space Force) in Go On, a fantasy drama marking Ashworth’s feature directorial debut, which will enter production in New Mexico in September.

Marking Ashworth’s first produced feature screenplay, the film follows two strangers on a remote mountain, scorched by forest fires, as they help each other process baggage from their previous lives so they can transition to the afterlife. Ashworth crafted the screenplay after losing his very young cousin, Landon Bellm, to suicide.

“Having my feature film directorial debut be my own screenplay which addresses real, meaningful, and relatable issues is an honor,” Ashworth told Deadline. “Also, having the opportunity to work with Vincent is beyond a dream come true. I’ve followed his career for over a decade and knew he needed to play the co-lead of this movie.

20th Television has hired former Netflix executive Jillian Longnecker as EVP and Head of Production and Showtime’s Brendan Countee as SVP and Head of Comedy Development for the studio, a part of Disney Television Studios.

Both positions had been vacant for awhile. 20th Television previous EVP Production Nissa Diederich exited in December, following a consolidation move that saw her counterpart, ABC Signature EVP Production and Post-Production Carol Turner, promoted to Head of Production for Disney Entertainment Television, overseeing production operations across Disney TV Studios, Hulu, Freeform and FX.

Reporting to Turner, Longnecker will oversee all physical production for 20th Television’s slate of drama, comedy and limited series that spans over two dozen current series and multiple pilots.

Countee succeeds Chet Dave who had been SVP and Head of Comedy Development since 2021. Dave went on a medical leave last year, and by March of this year, it became clear...

Exclusive: Nicholas Braun, Tommy Dewey and Nicholas Podany have joined the cast of Sony Pictures’ SNL 1975, which will be directed by Jason Reitman and based on the real-life behind-the-scenes accounts of the opening episode of Saturday Night Live.

Braun will play Jim Henson, Dewey will play Michael O’Donoghue, and Podany will play Billy Crystal. The original screenplay is by Reitman and Gil Kenan.

On October 11, 1975, a ferocious troupe of young comedians and writers changed television forever. SNL 1975 is the true story of what happened behind the scenes that night in the moments leading up to the first broadcast of NBC’s Saturday Night Live. It depicts the chaos and magic of a revolution that almost wasn’t, counting down the minutes in real time to the infamous words, “Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night!”

The screenplay is based on an extensive series of interviews conducted by...

With his character being pushed into oncoming traffic on the Tuesday, March 5 episode, thereby killing him off, actor Brian Gaskill has confirmed that his time in Genoa City as Seth on “The Young and the Restless” has ended.

In a message posted on his Instagram page, Gaskill said, “Between social media and the Internet in general, news travels ridiculously fast these days …so… yeah, that happened…(and if you haven’t seen yet, please watch… I hear Los Angeles might be preempted… so check out Paramount+ or look for Times).”

“I had a great time on ‘Young and the Restless’ with the producers, directors, publicity department, and other actors,” added Gaskill in his post. “And it was incredible to see so much support from all of my friends on social media, who have been following along over the years… So grateful for all of you. Now let’s see what comes next…...

Exclusive: Actor, producer and writer Tommy Dewey has signed with Anonymous Content in all areas.

Most recently, Dewey starred in and executive-produced Caroline Lindy’s romantic comedy-horror feature, Your Monster, which premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. Dewey stars in the film as ‘Monster’ opposite Melissa Barrera.

Additional film credits include Jason Reitman’s The Front Runner, opposite Hugh Jackman, Marc Carlini’s indie dramedy She’s In Portland, and Paramount hit Book Club.

Dewey is best known for his co-lead role on Hulu’s Golden Globe-nominated original series Casual opposite Michaela Watkins. His additional TV credits include the Fox comedy series Pivoting, HBO’s Perry Mason, and his recurring role on The Mindy Project.

He continues to be represented by The Kohner Agency and Myman Greenspan, et al.

Actor, writer and filmmaker Honey Lauren has set the cast for her feature directorial debut “Mistake.”

The indie drama stars Dominic Bogart, Matt Bogart (“Jersey Boys Live!”), Emmy winner and Golden Globe nominee Kay Lenz (“House”), Brett Cullen and Jiji Hise (“The Ballad of Buster Scruggs”) alongside Lauren.

The film follows Larry Benson (Dominic Bogart) who is born intersex in the deep south in 1941. His parents must choose, boy or girl. With hormone treatment Larry is raised as a man. The deep south is anything but an understanding environment in which to realize that a mistake has been made.

Brandon Keener, Cameron Deane Stewart, Natalie Makenna, Rachel Alig, Elaine Alexander, Michael Villar, Jennifer Daily (“Casual”), Max Emerson (“Single All the Way”), Carrie Gibson and Jaime Gallagher round out the supporting cast.

Brad Wyman (“Monster”), Erik Bakken and Davey Robertson are serving as producers. Production is underway in Kentucky and Los Angeles.

When news first broke that a "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" reboot would be coming to Prime Video, fans of the 2005 action romance flick were understandably skeptical. Do we really need a new version of this married spy story? Could any other version live up to the steaminess of the original, with its pretty A-list stars, snappy plot, and real-life love story unfolding behind the scenes?

As we learn more about the new "Mr. and Mrs. Smith," it turns out we needn't be worried: this version clearly isn't aiming to reboot the original. Billed as a "reimagining," the new saga is poised to make a lot of key changes to the familiar premise, stretching the plot to fit a TV show and rewriting the spies as newlyweds in an arranged marriage who are aware of one another's secret agent status from the start. The new "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" may not...

Donald Glover and Maya Erskine star in Prime Video's streaming series Mr. & Mrs. Smith. The show follows two strangers who land jobs at a spy agency and navigate a high-risk mission while also facing new relationship milestones. Glover and Erskine aim to offer audiences a fresh and deeper exploration of marriage and relationships, differentiating their series from the 2005 film.

No, they’re not portrayed by Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie this time around, but Mr. & Mrs. Smith return this winter in a streaming show on Prime Video. Rather than a feature film, the classic story will play out in an eight-episode series starring Donald Glover and Maya Erskine in the titular roles. Check out the brand-new image set from Mr. & Mrs. Smith below:

The synopsis for Mr. & Mrs. Smith reads as follows:

“In this version of Mr. & Mrs. Smith, two lonely strangers land jobs working...

It was revealed this morning that Michael Gambon had died at the age of 82. Tributes to the late actor have poured in from all corners of Hollywood, including those he worked with on the Harry Potter movies.

Michael Gambon is best known as Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts. He took over the role from Richard Harris, who played the character in the first two movies before he passed away. Stepping into a role played so memorably by another actor is no small thing, but Gambon quickly made Dumbledore his own.

In a statement, Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe paid tribute to Michael Gambon. “With the loss of Michael Gambon the world just became considerably less fun,” Radcliffe wrote. “Michael Gambon was one of the most brilliant, effortless actors I’ve ever had the privilege of working with, but despite his immense talent, the thing I will remember most about him...

You Hurt My Feelings is one of those delightful films in which you could honestly envision a whole movie about each character, and would want to watch it. Even tangential characters, like the couple who want a refund for years of unsuccessful therapy (a hilarious David Cross and Amber Tambyln) are interesting and fun enough, in their own way. But it's the main four characters of Nicole Holofcener's new instant classic that obviously stand out the most here. They're delightful company in one of the best films of the year.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus plays Beth, a writer whose new literary efforts are frequently rejected by her publisher. Her husband, Don (Tobias Menzies), is a therapist who is beginning to doubt that he's actually effective or good at his job. Beth's sister, Sarah (Michaela Watkins) is an interior designer for the frequently indecisive and picky upper echelon clientele of New York.

You know Michaela Watkins, right? She was on “Saturday Night Live” and was the star of “Casual” and “Enlightened.” You’ve heard her voice work on “Big Mouth” and “Robot Chicken,” and she was in indie gems like “In a World,” “Sword of Trust,” and “Thanks for Sharing.” You know her from somewhere.

“I get to work all the time, and nobody really knows who I am,” she recently told IndieWire. And, as Watkins makes clear, that’s no complaint. She’s got a great acting career, one that started quite late by Hollywood standards. A former member of improv troupe The Groundlings, she spent a decade bumping around in single-episode, minor-role stints before spending a year as an “SNL” featured player in 2008.

From there, she spent a season on “The New Adventures of Old Christine,” starring opposite another former SNL star, Julia Louis-Dreyfus — who’s now her co-star in...

Cheryl Strayed likes getting to know people, so perhaps it shouldn’t have been all that surprising when she began our interview by directing questions at me. The vaunted author, screenwriter, columnist, and podcast host wrapped her preceding press assignment a few minutes early, and rather than enjoying some alone time during a busy day at Austin’s SXSW Festival — where she later co-led a featured talk with “Tiny Beautiful Things” showrunner Liz Tigelaar — Strayed invited me to her table. Pleasantries were exchanged, coffee ordered, and the weather commented upon, but before five minutes passed, the consummate conversationalist had me speaking openly about my parents, relationships, and career.

It’s a strange feeling to hear the topics you’ve been sent to elicit from someone else come tumbling out of your own mouth, but Strayed likely has a similar reaction when fielding questions from reporters. While no stranger to sharing...

Poised for a breakout 2023, Chappell Roan kicked off her first headlining tour across North America earlier this month and shares the much anticipated new video for her single, ‘Casual’. The video for the early hit, which landed on ‘Best of 2022’ lists in Rolling Stone, Billboard, LA Times, Glamour and more, was directed by Hadley Hillel and puts a cinematic twist on the heroine’s narrative with Chappell falling for the most unexpected love interest.

“The video is a representation of how I dream of a serious relationship with someone in my head, but in reality it may be far from that. Even though it may not feel like it, if there are no labels, it’s just casual,” Chappell reflects on the video for ‘Casual’.

Co-produced by frequent collaborator Daniel Nigro and Ryan Linvill, the song is a visceral ode to the painful ambiguities of modern dating and youthful lust,...

David Chase has set his next series at FX with Hannah Fidell with Chase and Fidell attached as creators and co-writers.

The series, which is in development with a pilot commitment, is based on a previously unproduced script by “The Sopranos” director featuring a contemporary take by Fidell.

Fidell is set to direct the pilot with FX Productions producing the pilot. Chase, Fidell and Chase Films’ Nicole Lambert will serve as executive producers.

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In addition to creating HBO drama series “The Sopranos,” which collected 21 Emmys through its time on air, Chase also created “Rockford Files” and “Kolchak: The Night Stalker” and made his feature film debut with “Not Fade Away.” “The Many Saints of Newark,” the feature film prequel to “The Sopranos” was released in 2021 by Warner Bros.

Currently under a first look film and television deal with Warner Bros. Discovery,...

The Sopranos creator David Chase is getting into business with FX.

Chase and A Teacher creator Hannah Fidell are co-writing and co-creating a drama for the Disney-owned outlet. Details are being kept quiet, but it’s based on a previously unproduced script of Chase’s, with a contemporary take by Fidell.

FX Productions is behind the project, which has a pilot commitment. Fidell will also direct; Chase, Fidell and Chase Films’ Nicole Lambert are executive producing.

The project landing at FX is something of a surprise considering Chase signed a five-year, first-look TV and film deal with Warner Bros. Discovery in October 2021, as his Sopranos prequel film The Many Saints of Newark was being released.

The Sopranos, of course, is considered among the greatest TV dramas of all time and won 21 Emmys during its 1999-2007 run on HBO, including two best drama honors and three writing awards for Chase. Since the show’s end,...

Exclusive: We hear that Kris Rey is set to direct Sooner or Later, a romantic comedy that’s early in the works at 20th Century Studios from scribe Tess Morris and produced by Logan‘s Scott Frank.

Sooner or Later focuses on Nora, a cynical British journalist who is hired to write a puff piece for a legendary Hollywood playboy attempting to reinvent his image.

Rey’s most recent comedy feature I Used To Go Here premiered at SXSW in 2020 and starred Gillian Jacobs and Jemaine Clement. The pic was acquired stateside by Gravitas Ventures. Previously, she wrote and directed the feature Unexpected, which premiered in competition at the Sundance Film Festival and stars Cobie Smulders, Anders Holm, Gail Bean, and Elizabeth McGovern.

Up next on the feature side, Rey is attached to direct Higher Ground, a natural disaster rom-com written by Olivia Wolfe and Neel Shah. Dave Bernad and Ruben Fleischer are producing.

Exclusive: Writer, director, producer, and actor Jim Cummings (The Beta Test) has signed with Anonymous Content for management.

Cummings is an acclaimed indie filmmaker who most recently teamed with Pj McCabe to co-write and direct The Beta Test — a genre-bending feature, which world premiered at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival. He also produced and starred in that title alongside Virginia Newcomb and McCabe. The film about a Hollywood agent who gets caught up in a sinister world of lying, infidelity, and digital data screened later played as an official selection of the Berlin Film Festival, where Cummings and McCabe were nominated for the Encounters Award. It was released by IFC in November of 2021.

Cummings first garnered attention with the short Thunder Road, which he wrote, directed, produced and starred in. The film about a man eulogizing his mother won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival, along with Sxsx...

We’ve reinvented our Songs You Need to Know franchise as a weekly playlist of the best new music — featuring the week’s biggest new singles, key tracks from our favorite albums, and more. This week we’ve got the feverishly awaited return of Rihanna, as well as must-hear new songs from Jin of BTS, Sza, Chloe Bailey, and more. Check out the playlist below, or cue it up on Spotify.

Rihanna, “Lift Me Up” (youtube)

Jin, “The Astronaut” (youtube)

Chloe feat. Latto, “For the Night” (youtube)

Rauw Alejandro, “Dime QUIÉN?...

Exclusive: Merritt Wever (Godless) is joining Michaela Watkins and Owen Painter as recurring guest stars on Hulu’s Tiny Beautiful Things, the Kathryn Hahn starrer in the works from Liz Tigelaar that’s based on Cheryl Strayed’s New York Times bestseller.

Wever plays Frankie, the resilient and resourceful single mother of Young Clare and Young Lucas, whose belief in abundance over scarcity, and putting oneself in the way of beauty, transforms her children’s life of poverty and becomes a touchstone for Clare (Hahn) as she takes up the mantel of the anonymous, revered advice columnist, Sugar, in the present.

Watkins portrays Amy, an emerging novelist and the decades-long best friend of Clare, whose decision to remain childless and pursue an artistic career has been shaped by a mother loss of her own — though a different kind than Clare’s. And while their friendship is very real,...

Not every TV series gets the kind of warm reception that Apple TV+ series “Severance” received upon its release.

The series which just concluded its first season has a 98 critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an average audience score of 93 — very impressive statistics. Fans are raving about this one and if you haven’t seen “Severance” then you’re missing out.

This article discusses the cast, characters, and the latest updates about “Severance” season two — as well as what to expect.

Where can you watch Severance?

All episodes of “Severance” are available for streaming on Apple TV+ — Apple’s exclusive streaming service. Signup and access Apple TV+ on the Apple TV app, which is unsurprisingly available to Apple TV, iPhone, iPad, Mac computer users, and select third-party devices.

What is Severance about?

The series revolves around a mysterious company — Lumon Industries — which makes employees working on certain restricted projects undergo a severance procedure.

Primetime Emmy winner Tobias Menzies has boarded the Nicole Holofcener directed and written feature Beth & Don opposite Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

Cameras roll this week on the movie, which A24 acquired all US rights on out of AFM last year.

Also rounding out the cast are Michaela Watkins, Arian Moayed, Owen Teague, Jeanne Berlin, Bill Camp and Elizabeth Marvel.

In the movie, Beth is a New York novelist in an unbelievably happy marriage to Don, who loves her and supports her in every way. One day, when Beth overhears him admitting that he hasn’t liked her writing in years, it threatens to undo all that’s good in their lives.

Ben & Don is produced by Likely Story’s Anthony Bregman and Stefanie Azpiazu, Louis-Dreyfus and Holofcener. Bregman and Azpiazu produced Enough Said, and are longtime collaborators with both Holofcener and Louis-Dreyfus.

FilmNation Entertainment is handling international sales and the following buyers with respective territories: Sony Pictures’ Stage 6 Films – Germany, Spain, All Eastern Europe, Cis, Benelux, Greece, Iceland, Middle East, Scandinavia, Switzerland, Turkey, Latin America, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, and South Africa, Vertice Cine (Italy), Lev Cinema (Israel), Prisvideo (Portugal), and Roadshow distribution (Australia/New Zealand).

Menzies is about to shoot the lead role in Manhunt for Apple TV+. He won an Emmy for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series and was nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Drama Series for his work in Netflix’s The Crown as Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. On the film side, Menzies’ notable credits include Anna Foerster’s Underworld: Blood Wars and Richard Eyre’s King Lear. Recent television credits include Aisling Bea’s The Way Up; Game of Thrones as ‘Edmure Tully’; and the hit Starz series Outlander, for which he received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role. Menzies is represented by WME, Cognition, and Conway Van Gelder Grant. Moayed is repped by Gersh, Kipperman Management and Schreck Rose Dapello Adams Berlin & Dunham. Watkins is repped by Haven Entertainment, UTA and Patti Felker. Marvel is represented by Innovative Artists and Viking Entertainment. Camp is repped by Innovative Artists and Franklin, Weinrib, Rudell and Vassallo, and Teague is with CAA.

Apple TV Plus is finalizing its Emmy plans for acclaimed hit “Severance,” which just had its season finale last week. Variety has learned exclusively how the streamer plans on dividing its large ensemble into the drama categories.

Stars Adam Scott and Britt Lower will try their luck in the lead drama actor and lead drama actress races. At the same time, Patricia Arquette, John Turturro, Zach Cherry, Tramell Tillman and Jen Tullock will angle for supporting drama attention. Perhaps the biggest mystery of who may end up where, Christopher Walken will not be submitted for guest actor in a drama, as originally presumed by Apple because of his role in more than half of the episodes of the season. He will compete alongside his co-stars Turturro and Tillman in supporting actor drama. The deadline for entering programs for primetime programming is May 12, so any of these plans are subject to change.

Maya Erskine will star opposite Donald Glover in the upcoming “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” series at Amazon.

Erskine takes over the co-starring role from Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who had originally been set to star alongside Glover but departed the project last year due to creative differences. Glover revealed the new casting in an interview with himself in Interview Magazine.

The series is based on Doug Liman’s feature of the same name starring Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. The pair played rival spies that discover they have been contracted to assassinate each other. According to Glover, he is currently writing the finale for the series.

Erskine is best known for co-creating, starring in, executive producing and co-showrunning the Hulu comedy series “PEN15.” The show was nominated for multiple Emmys throughout its two-season run, including one for best comedy series and two for best writing for a comedy series for Erskine as...

Exclusive: UTA has signed writer, director, producer and actor Jim Cummings (The Beta Test) for representation in all areas.

Cummings most recently partnered with Pj McCabe to co-write and direct The Beta Test, also producing and starring in that genre-bender, which premiered to critical acclaim at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival. That film also starring McCabe and Virginia Newcomb sees an engaged Hollywood agent receive a mysterious letter for an anonymous sexual encounter, becoming ensnared in a sinister world of lying, infidelity and digital data. IFC Films released it in the U.S. in November.

Cummings also wrote, directed, produced and starred in the acclaimed short film Thunder Road, which won the Short Film Grand Jury Prize at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival, along with SXSW’s Special Jury Award and other honors. He later adapted the short, in which a man eulogizes his mother, into a 2018 feature of the same name,...

Exclusive: Katie Aselton (The Morning Show) has signed on to star alongside Bill Burr, Bobby Cannavale and Bokeem Woodbine in the comedy Old Dads, which Burr wrote and is directing for Miramax and his company All Things Comedy.

The comedian’s feature directorial debut centers on a middle-aged father, Jack (Burr), and his two best friends (Cannavale and Woodbine), who after selling their company to a millennial, find themselves out of step and behind the times as they hilariously struggle to navigate a changing world of culture, career and fatherhood.

Aselton is playing Jack’s wife, Leah. Burr and Ben Tishler penned the script and are producing alongside Bill Block, Monica Levinson and Mike Bertolina, with production underway in Los Angeles.

Aselton is an actor and filmmaker perhaps best known for her starring role as Jenny on FX’s comedy The League. She...

“Maid” creator Molly Smith Metzler has signed a multi-year overall deal with Netflix, Variety has learned.

“Maid” was based on the memoir “Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive” by Stephanie Land. In addition to adapting the book for the screen Metzler also served as executive producer and showrunner on the drama series. It debuted on Netflix in October 2021 to critical acclaim, netting three Golden Globe nominations among other accolades.

“I’m so thrilled to join the Netflix family after what’s already been a joyful and fulfilling partnership with Jinny Howe, who gave this playwright the opportunity to create ‘Maid,'” said Metzler. “From day one, my collaboration with the entire Netflix team has been open, creative, and wildly supportive. I’m honored to call Netflix my home and very excited to keep this party going!”

Under the deal, Metzler and her Quiet Coyote...

If you're familiar with Hulu's Casual, then you must be checking into Fox's pivoting if only because Tommy Dewey plays opposite Eliza Coupe's Amy as her husband, Henry, on the female-driven show.

Dewey is familiar with working alongside strong female characters, and he's adding a lot of charm to Pivoting as a result.

We had a chance to catch up with him to talk all about it. Please enjoy segments of our conversation below.

You had the perfect character and an amazing performance in Casual. Has this been hard to follow that up?

Yeah. I love that job, and I love those people, making the show with those people. So I took a little time to A) rest and B) think about what I wanted to do next. And at least on the TV side, that thing became Pivoting. And I think what made that decision easy was,...

How do you separate your work and home-life selves? Is it even possible at all? That’s the question at the heart of the new Apple TV+ series “Severance,” from director Ben Stiller and creator Dan Erickson. The dystopian series about a technology that enables workers to remove the memories of their workday — and of their personal lives while at the office — will launch globally February 18 on Apple TV+ with the first two episodes. This will be followed by new weekly installments each Friday during its nine-episode season. Watch the full trailer for the series below.

Here’s the synopsis: “In ‘Severance,’ Mark Scout (Adam Scott) leads a team at Lumon Industries, whose employees have undergone a severance procedure, which surgically divides their memories between their work and personal lives. This daring experiment in ‘work-life balance’ is called into question as Mark finds himself at the center of an unraveling...

Work-life balance? No such thing. But in the new Apple TV+ series “Severance,” from director/executive producer Ben Stiller and creator Dan Erickson, it may not be such a pie-in-the-sky pipe dream after all. Apple has unveiled a teaser for the nine-episode first season, which debuts its first two episodes on February 18, 2022. Watch below.

Here’s the synopsis: “In ‘Severance,’ Mark Scout (Adam Scott) leads a team at Lumon Industries, whose employees have undergone a severance procedure, which surgically divides their memories between their work and personal lives. This daring experiment in ‘work-life balance’ is called into question as Mark finds himself at the center of an unraveling mystery that will force him to confront the true nature of his work… and of himself.”

The series notably reunites director Ben Stiller with Patricia Arquette, who earned a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for the 2018 Showtime series “Escape at Dannemora.” In “Severance,...

In the wake of Ghostbusters: Afterlife reinvigorating the Sony franchise, as well as the family business at the pandemic box office with $115.8M WW, the Culver City lot has signed the sequel’s director/co-writer Jason Reitman and EP/co-writer Gil Kenan to an overall producing deal.

“Jason is the thing you dream about: a world-class, signature storyteller, visionary filmmaker, and dream producing partner,” said Sanford Panitch, President, Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group. “Jason and Gil as co-writing partners have a remarkable understanding of commercial quality cinema, and we are thrilled about the upcoming pipeline from these guys.”

“We’re excited to have evolved our storytelling partnership into a full-fledged production company and couldn’t be more proud to have a home at Sony Pictures, the studio most committed to the theatrical movie going experience,” said Reitman and Kenan.

Reitman and Kenan are Oscar nominees. Reitman received four Oscar noms,...

Exclusive: Bridget Regan (Jane the Virgin) and Patrick Heusinger (Jack Reacher: Never Go Back) have signed on to star alongside Katherine Castro in Weak, a new thriller from writer-director J.S. Mayank.

The film inspired by a true story follows an investigation involving two women: Audra (Castro), who’s suffering from depression, and her friend Jen (Regan), who’s trying to help her cope with the mental health issues. Upon their visit to a gun range, an unexpected turn of events leads to a surprising and horrifying revelation.

It’s not yet clear who Heusinger is playing.

Alex Creswick is producing the film, with Anival Morales and Mayank’s longtime collaborator Castro serving as exec producers.

Regan was just cast as Poison Ivy in The CW’s Batwoman, and recently completed filming on Paradise Lost, starring in the Spectrum Originals limited series opposite Josh Harnett, Nick Nolte and Barbara Hershey.

Vincent Kartheiser was the subject of multiple investigations for his behavior on the set of Season 3 of the HBO Max series “Titans,” Variety has confirmed.

Kartheiser was cast as the villain Jonathan Crane, a.k.a Scarecrow, in the third season of the DC superhero show earlier this year. According to an individual with knowledge of the situation, Kartheiser was first the subject of a complaint for what was described as making inappropriate comments onset. Wbtv’s Labor Relations department investigated and found that his actions did not warrant being fired from the show but did warrant corrective action.

A second complaint was made some time later, which led Wbtv to assign a representative to keep an eye on activities on the set. Due to Covid protocols, interviews were conducted virtually by the Burbank-based investigators.

Reps for Wbtv declined to comment.

“Vincent Kartheiser vehemently denies the allegations,” a spokesperson for the actor said.

Exclusive: Vincent Kartheiser is a major new cast addition to Season 3 of the DC series Titans, which is currently airing on HBO Max. But the Mad Men alum, who plays the villain Scarecrow, is not on the poster for the new season and was not actively involved in publicity efforts for the new season after his stint on the show triggered at least two complaints and two internal investigations by Titans studio Warner Bros Television, I have learned. The studio declined comment.

The allegations, which are believed to have included disruptive, juvenile behavior and inappropriate comments, were investigated by Wbtv’s Labor Relations department, which interviewed the relevant parties. The investigations were conducted remotely because of Covid protocols that did not allow for Burbank-based investigators to visit the series’ Toronto set.

According to sources, the first investigation into a complaint, said to be about verbal comments and outbursts, concluded that...

Jeff Tweedy, like many of your favorite writers, is launching a Substack. On Wednesday, the Wilco unveiled Starship Casual, a paid newsletter where he will talk about his favorite music, dole out advice, tell stories from his lengthy career, and share unreleased music.

“I always have way more music recorded than I could ever put out and I can’t wait to share a ton of stuff you’ve never heard,” Tweedy wrote in his introductory post. “Basically it’s Jeff Tweedy (me) digging a little deeper into the types...

Hannah Fidell, creator of Kate Mara drama A Teacher, is staying in business with FX.

The writer, director and producer has struck a first-look deal with FX Productions.

It comes after her FX on Hulu miniseries, which also starred Nick Robinson, launched in November. The series is based on her indie drama, which was her feature film directorial debut.

Othe projects include Tony Revolori and Jason Mantzoukas roadtrip comedy The Long Dumb Road, which was released by Universal Pictures in 2018, and 6 Years, a romantic drama released by Netflix. She also directed episodes of Hulu’s The Act and Casual and Facebook’s Sorry For Your Loss. She is also directing an episode of Hulu’s Pam & Tommy.

“Working with Hannah on A Teacher has been incredibly rewarding, creatively and personally, and it’s only the latest example of her ability to excel as a storyteller and producer,” said Gina Balian,...

“I’ve tried to make it as different and quirky as we possibly could,” declares production designer Greg J. Grande about Fox’s “Call Me Kat.” The freshman sitcom stars Mayim Bialik, also one of the show’s executive producers, as a single woman who abandons her career in academia to fulfill her dream of opening a “cat cafe.” Grande has had a long career in production design, with credits on shows as diverse at “Friends,” “Cougar Town,” “Dear White People” and “Casual.” Check out our exclusive video chat with Grande above.

Grande admits that he had never heard of cat cafes and was surprised to discover how popular they are in this country. “I never would have imagined that food and cats in the same space would go hand in hand,” he remarks. “But they’re quite interesting. The architecture and some of the creative freedom that these spaces have created is amazing.

A series adaptation of the “Vampire Academy” novels by Richelle Mead has been ordered to series at Peacock, with Julie Plec and Marguerite MacIntyre attached to write, Variety has learned.

The book series is a personal favorite of Plec’s, who is best known for co-developing the CW series adaptation of “The Vampire Diaries.”

“Julie Plec created one of the biggest fan-favorite universes with ‘The Vampire Diaries’ and its spin-off series ‘The Originals’ and ‘Legacies,’ and we are excited to deliver this passionate audience a brand new story on Peacock,” said Lisa Katz, president of scripted content for NBCUniversal Television and Streaming. “Julie is known for binge-able, enthralling dramas and we know ‘Vampire Academy’ will keep Peacock viewers right on the edge of their seats.”

In “Vampire Academy,” two young women’s friendship transcends their strikingly different classes as they prepare to complete their education and enter royal vampire society.

Fox has shared trailers for its new comedies and dramas for the 2021-22 TV season, including the Scott Foley-led “The Big Leap” and Paul Feig’s “Welcome to Flatch.”

The trailers were unveiled at the network’s annual upfront presentation to advertisers on Monday, alongside information about returning favorites “9-1-1,” “The Masked Singer” and “The Resident.”

The new shows teased Monday also include the long-gestating mob drama “The Cleaning Lady” and the ensemble comedy “Pivoting,” starring Eliza Coupe, Maggie Q and Ginnifer Goodwin. The network has not yet shared trailers for its other new shows, including “Alter Ego,” Gordon Ramsey’s “Next Level Chef,” Lee Daniels’ “Our Kind of People” and the “Fantasy Island” reboot starring Roselyn Sanchez.

“The Big Leap”

The Big Leap is a modern tale about second chances, chasing your dreams and taking back what’s yours. From creator/executive producer Liz Heldens, director/executive producer...

Mad Men and The Social Dilemma actor Vincent Kartheiser has joined the cast of HBO Max’s Titans and is set to take on Jonathan Crane, a.k.a. Scarecrow in season three.

Kartheiser’s Jonathan Crane is an inmate at Arkham Asylum who used to terrorize Gotham City using toxins to exploit his enemies’ phobias. While Kartheiser will make his debut as the DC villain in the series’ upcoming third season, Scarecrow has already appeared in a number of DC titles including The Adventures of Batman, Harley Quinn and even The Lego Batman Movie. Charlie Tahan previously portrayed the villain on Gotham and Cillian Murphy played Crane for Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins.

Kartheiser joins the Titans cast which stars Brenton Thwaites, Anna Diop, Teagan Croft, Ryan Potter and Conor Leslie, who teased the big bad’s appearance at DC FanDome 2020. Titans is produced by Weed Road Pictures and Berlanti Productions,...

A Mad Men star is truly going mad this time: Vincent Kartheiser has signed on to play Jonathan Crane, aka the Scarecrow, in Season 3 of HBO Max’s Titans, the streamer announced on Wednesday.

Jonathan Crane is “an inmate at Arkham Asylum who used to terrorize Gotham City using toxins to exploit his enemies’ phobias,” per the official description. The highly anticipated casting comes as the Batman-adjacent series moves from DC Universe to HBO Max for its upcoming third season, with a premiere date still Tbd. (Seasons 1 and 2 of Titans are already available to stream on HBO Max.)

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“Titans” has cast Vincent Kartheiser as Jonathan Crane, a.k.a Scarecrow, for the upcoming Season 3 on HBO Max.

In the show, Crane is an inmate at Arkham Asylum who used to terrorize Gotham City using toxins to exploit his enemies’ phobias. The DC Comics character has appeared a number of times onscreen, including the Fox series “Gotham” and Christopher Nolan’s Batman film trilogy. He was played by David W. Thompson in the former and Cillian Murphy in the latter.

Other new characters set to be introduced in Season 3 include Barbara Gordon and Tim Drake.

Kartheiser is best known for his role as Pete Campbell in the critically-acclaimed AMC series “Mad Men.” His recent TV credits include “Casual” and “The Path” at Hulu, the Nat Geo miniseries “Saints & Sinners,” the Sky TV series “Das Boot, and “The Oa” at Netflix. His feature credits include starring opposite Melissa Leo...