News

Nearly two months after the end of the 148-day writers strike, the Writers Guild of America West is taking on Amazon over a number of stalled series.

The guild has accused the streamer of violating its contract after it emerged that Amazon Studios has yet to reconvene writers rooms for several shows that were already underway before the work stoppage earlier this year.

In a statement provided to Deadline, the guild said: “Wgaw has notified Amazon Studios that their failure to recommence a number of writing rooms after the strike is a violation of the Strike Termination Agreement (Sta) between the WGA and AMPTP and Article 7 of the Mba. Studios are obligated to return writers to work ‘upon termination of the strike,’ and writers’ Personal Services Agreements were extended for a period equal to the portion of the contract term that elapsed during the strike. The Guild will bring legal...

The author’s first collaboration with Prime Video, “Harlan Coben’s Shelter” premiered over the summer, and the thriller series has already been cancelled by Amazon this week.

Prime Video also axed “The Horror of Dolores Roach” after one season.

Based on the first novel in the bestselling author Coben’s Mickey Bolitar trilogy, “Harlan Coben’s Shelter” follows the story of Mickey Bolitar after the sudden death of his father leads him to start a new life in Kasselton, New Jersey. Mickey quickly finds himself tangled in the mysterious disappearance of a new student at his school, Ashley Kent, which leads to uncovering unimaginable secrets within their quiet suburban community.

“With the help of his friends—the inventive Spoon and the secretive Ema—Mickey pulls back the sleepy façade of Kasselton to reveal a dark underground that may hold the answers to decades of disappearances, deaths, and legends … and his own complex family history.

It looks like Prime Video's cancellation spree is far from over.

Freshman dramas Harlan Coban's Shelter and The Horror of Dolores Roach have been canceled alongside With Love.

The streaming service revealed the decision on Tuesday evening, which comes right before Thanksgiving.

It's not uncommon for media conglomerates to bury this kind of news around the holiday period, so there's less awareness of it and, in turn, less pushback from their fans.

But all three shows had devoted audiences who would have probably followed them wherever they went.

A League of Their Own, The Peripheral Canceled at Prime Video

Prime Video hasn't had the best track record in recent months for canceling many shows -- some of which had been renewed already.

A League of Their Own and The Peripheral, for example, were in early development on new seasons, but Prime Video took the liberty of rescinding their renewals during...

There will be no new seasons of “The Horror of Dolores Roach,” “Harlan Coben’s Shelter” or “With Love” at Prime Video, the streamer announced on Tuesday.

Originally created by Aaron Mark as a one-woman play, “Empanada Loca,” Mark created, wrote, and directed the original podcast and penned the pilot script for “The Horror of Dolores Roach.” The series followed the titular character (played by Justina Machado), “who returns to a gentrified Washington Heights, where she reunites with an old stoner friend, Luis, who lets her live and work as a masseuse in the basement under his empanada shop. When the promise of her newfound stability is quickly threatened, ‘Magic Hands’ Dolores is driven to shocking extremes to survive,” reads the official description.

Mark also served as co-showrunner and executive producer with Dara Resnik, alongside executive producers Daphne Rubin-Vega, Jason Blum, Chris McCumber, Jeremy Gold and Chris Dickie for Blumhouse Television; Dawn Ostroff,...

What a way to leave us hanging!

The series understood the art of a cliffhanger with Harlan Coben's Shelter Season 1 Episode 8, and now we're left reeling over the confirmation that Brad Bolitar is alive.

But what does that mean for the future? And we're not just talking about the future for all these respective characters and the storytelling, but the future of the series in general.

We got those suspenseful moments of Mickey, with the support of his friends, coming face to face with his father, who isn't dead after all, just as Shira stared down an empty coffin.

We fade to black before we can have the satisfying moments of Mickey running to his father for a hug or them having anything that resembles a real conversation.

And with Bat Lady in the wind, Luther, and whomever he's working alongside serving as a looming threat, and the uncertainty...

The list of directors who put their trust in Robby Müller could constitute a nice history of post-war cinema. A retrospective of films on which he served as Dp reflects accordingly––so’s the case with Metrograph’s “Robby Müller: Remain in Light,” which starts on Friday, September 29, and for which we’re glad to debut the trailer.

Contained therein are bits and pieces of what Metrograph attendees can anticipate. The series will offer a chance to see (among others) 24 Hour Party People, Alice in the Cities, The American Friend, Barfly, Breaking the Waves, Dead Man, Down by Law, Ghost Dog: Way of the Samurai, Kings of the Road, Korczak, Living the Light – Robby Müller, Mystery Train, Repo Man, Saint Jack, To Live and Die in L.A., When Pigs Fly, The Wrong Move, and Paris, Texas. The opening night will be anchored by “a panel on Müller’s continued influence on filmmaking,...

Can we please stop traumatizing these teens for, like, a second?

It was nearly all hands on deck for the teens during Harlan Coben's Shelter Season 1 Episode 7, which was a harrowing hour for too many of the kiddos.

But by the end of it, at least we know that Ashley is rescued and off somewhere far safer for now.

Mickey Bolitar's hard-learned lesson of the hour was that he has to trust and rely on his friends a bit more, but then, did he really learn that lesson by the end when he went to confront Bat Lady alone?

And Spoon experienced such a devastating loss, that of a girl he once knew and part of his innocence, that it's almost unforgivable that we didn't get to revisit that again.

Spoon Spindell is not okay, and we need to focus on that a bit more!

The series knows its strength lies in the dynamics,...

Some 18 producers from 17 countries will attend workshops throughout 2023 and 2024.

Eve Gabereau of the UK’s Modern Films and Denmark’s Monica Hellstrom are among 18 independent producers selected for Ace 33, the latest intake for the Ace Producers Network.

The 18 producers from 17 different countries will attend three workshops throughout 2023 and 2024 with independent feature projects. The workshops will take place in Norway in October, on content development; in Warsaw, Poland in November, on financing strategies; and finally in France, looking at business strategies.

Scroll down for the Ace 33 selection

The producers will then join the Ace Network following the 2024 Ace meeting in Bordeaux,...

18 producers from 17 countries will attend workshops throughout 2023 and 2024.

Eve Gabereau of UK company Modern Films and Danish producer Monica Hellstrom are among 18 independent producers selected for Ace 33, the latest intake for the Ace Producers Network.

The 18 producers from 17 different countries will attend three workshops throughout 2023 and 2024 with independent feature projects. The workshops will take place in Norway in October, on content development; in Warsaw, Poland in November, on financing strategies; and finally in France, looking at business strategies.

Scroll down for the Ace 33 selection

The producers will then join the Ace Network following the 2024 Ace meeting in Bordeaux, France.

London-based...

We have one major mystery down!

While many of us probably suspected that Dylan Shakes was alive and that he had gotten away from his father's abuse, it was lovely to have that confirmation during Harlan Coben's Shelter Season 1 Episode 6.

It was also so touching to have that reunion between Dylan and Mrs. Friedman.

Mickey was a bit of a lone wolf for most of the hour, and it landed him in quite a terrifying position, with new information about Abeola and all his father has been involved in and him escaping for his life.

What happened to the buddy system, Mickey? This is getting too stressful!

With the number of mysteries that this series drops at us rapidly, it's nice to have a clear-cut answer for at least one of them and bits and pieces of things coming together for some others.

Shelter has been a blast to watch...

Fremantle kicked off its presence at the Venice Film Festival with a bang this year with the announcement of its new €150M ($162.7M) Scripted Fund forged in partnership with Israel-based Ibi Investment House.

The fund is reserved exclusively for select projects being developed by Fremantle’s stable of scripted drama companies, which include UK’s Dancing Ledge and Element Pictures, Italy’s The Apartment, Wildside and Lux Vide, as well as The Immigrant, specialized in Latin America and Spanish content.

First projects backed by the fund include previously announced feature Maria, the high-profile Maria Callas biopic, starring Angelina Jolie and directed by Pablo Larraín, who is at Venice this year with Augusto Pinochet dark comedy/horror El Conde.

Two newly unveiled series will also benefit: the four-part thriller Generation Loss, written by Bridgerton’s Sarah Dollard, and six-part revenge thriller Shelter, to which Jeremy Webb is attached to direct.

Fremantle is not involved in Larrain’s Netflix-backed El Conde but is present instead with five other Golden Lion contenders, including Yorgos Lanthimos’ buzzed about Poor Things, Stefano Sollima’s well-reviewed Adagio, Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla, Salvatore Costanzo’s 1950s Cinecittà drama Finally Dawn, and Pietro Castellitto’s Enea

In a sign of a growing presence in the film world, the company is basing itself out of a vast beachfront villa just down the road from the festival’s main hub for the first time this year.

Deadline sat down with top Fremantle execs, Group COO and CEO Continental Europe Andrea Scrosati and CEO Global Drama Christian Vesper, in the peace of its lawned garden to discuss the genesis and implications of the new scripted fund.

Deadline: How did Fremantle connect with Ibi Investment House?

Scrosati: It came to us through our CEO in Israel Guy Hameiri, who is also going to be the CEO of the fund. He runs our company there [Abot Hameiri), which we initially invested in and then bought out two years ago.

He came to me around like nine months ago, saying that the leadership in Ibi was interested in finding a way to invest in scripted content. Together, we developed this model that I think is pretty new.

Deadline: What do you mean by new? There are other funds in existence investing in scripted content.

Andrea Scrosati: I think the interesting component here is that it’s a financial institution partnering with a content production company. The projects can only come from Fremantle. So that’s the intriguing component, for us. Then, this fund will fully finance those projects, which is also rare, especially for TV. To have a self-funded studio kind of model on drama is slightly rare. And then Fremantle will go out and sell.

Deadline: What encouraged you to go down this route?

Scrosati: It’s coherent with our strategic positioning. Talent has a lot of opportunity choices… but to super simplify, there are two key potential choices. One, talent signs a deal with a big direct-to-consumer operation. It’s an absolutely a fine choice. But obviously, what happens is that the talent then has to deliver results that are coherent with the platform that needs to sell the subscriptions.

Our approach to talent is different. We say, ‘We’re going to focus on your project, we’re going to support your project, we’re going to potentially finance or risk on your project, and then we’re going to find the right home for your project, because not every project is okay for every place.’ This new device helps us with this strategic positioning.

There is a tactical component because of where the market is today. Big traditional buyers didn’t stop buying but are for sure on a slower kind of pace. We strongly believe that good content has a future. I’m very positive about where the market is going to be in three or four years from today. In every market there’s growth, and then an adjustment.

The problem with where the market is today is that there are great opportunities, sometimes that involve great talent, but they have a time component and you risk not doing those projects if you’re waiting for the green light from Apple, Disney, Netflix, or Amazon.

Deadline: If the commissioning contraction hadn’t happened would you still have gone down this route?

Scrosati: Yes, for the strategic reason I mentioned.

Christian Vesper: Not Maria, because Maria is a film and starts very soon. And that was a different calculation. But for the two TV shows that we discuss in the [press] release, part of the consideration there was we believe in the projects. We know there’s a market for them but the talent attached has a discrete window, and so much of our business model has been based on how we bring in talent. How do we service our talent? Our job is to help them get their shows made and on the air. And this gives us one more powerful tool for doing that.

Deadline: Will the new fund change the way you deal with the broadcasters and streamers ?

Scrosati: The buyers are our partners. These shows will go to a client or a streamer. The fund is simply a way to accelerate the production time schedule. The buyer will be able to access a product when it is actually already in production or is already produced.

Vesper: One of our best clients in the UK is struggling now with some of their bigger shows. Even if they’ve greenlit them, they can’t find the financing for the rest of the budget. This is partly to step into that void. The networks, the linears and the public broadcasters, they’re struggling to fulfill all their programming needs with the resources they have and this provides yet one more avenue to do that.

Deadline: Can the fund be accessed by all the companies producing scripted content under the Fremantle umbrella?

Scrosati: Yes, as you can see with the first three projects. One of them is taking place in Israel, one in in UK, and one is a Chilean-Italian co-production, shot in Hungary. It’s going to be fantastically global.

Deadline: You have set yourselves the target of a €3B turnover by 2025. Do you think that’s realistic? And why have you set yourself this goal?

Scrosati: The goal was set by our shareholders… I’ve worked for a few different shareholders over the course of my career. The thing I’ve found incredibly strong is that Bertelsmann and Rtl have set a goal but have also given us all the support and instruments to reach that goal. It is a very ambitious goal because obviously the company was doing a very different number three years ago, but again they have given us all the support.

One thing, which is really important to say, is that the growth we have done in the last few years has been a been a mix of M&a and organic growth. This growth is not simply because we are acquiring companies, but rather because we are diversifying and creating a business portfolio. An example of this, is that five years ago, we were delivering two movies a year, and last year, we delivered 17, and with the exception of Element, which is an acquisition, all these movies come from companies that were already part of Fremantle.

Vesper: When I joined the company, Wildside was already a crucial part of the company, and I’ve been here six years now and the growth there is all organic and extraordinary.

Scrosati: The M&a we’ve done is all part of strategic plans. It’s been about acquiring companies that were best in class in a sector where we were not present. Element is a fantastic example of that. We did not have an English language, movie production company. Or, best in class in potentially growing regions where we were not present. We invested in Latin American company The Immigrant a few years ago when it was a start-up. It now has three productions on the go and its first movie Adolfo won the Generation 14 Plus prize in Berlin.

Vesper: One of our companies in England, Dancing Ledge, is hitting it out of the park in terms of the number of series they have on BBC and all the platforms. Like The Immigrant, we invested in them when they had done nothing. It’s not like we’re buying revenue. A lot of the M&a is investment in the future.

Deadline: Do you plan to keep up the pace of scripted company acquisitions of the last three years, or is that calming down?

Scrosati: In line with what we were just saying, If there is something that is coherent with our growth, in areas where we’re still not present, or there is a company or creative team that we really think has potential, we will still invest. The other component is the cultural element. We are a big company but we’re very lean. The scripted management team is basically in front of you. The only way it can work is if we see can see an element where it will work intellectually and culturally.

Deadline: Do you have further growth plans for scripted in the U.S.?

Scrosati: It’s our first territory. The company’s core business is still the entertainment and unscripted business and the U.S. is a massive territory for us for that. In addition, Dante di Loreto is leading the scripted team and has a lot going on.

Vesper: We have a show, Fellow Travellers, coming out on Paramount+ at the end of September. It’s a big mini-series with Matt Bomer, Jonathan Bailey and Allison Williams, that was developed with Showtime and that we produced for them. Six-part, gorgeous, about the gay panic in the CIA in the 50s. We also produced two seasons of Mosquito Coast for Apple.

We have a number of big shows that we’re about to announce. What’s interesting is that we have a couple of projects that the U.S. have set up to shoot here (Europe), and vice versa. We’re trying to make sure that our European producers have the resources in the U.S., and the other way round. We’re constantly strategizing about this, it’s important for us to continue to build that business in the U.S..

HBO has acquired the award-winning short film Chico Virtual and will be streaming the Jaden Michael-led flick on Max starting September 18.

Variety reports that the short film was acquired after Chico Virtual after already winning a number of awards, including both the Best Drama and Audience Awards from the International Chicago Film Festival's CineYouth program, along with winning the 2022 HBO Max Latino Short Film Competition. Produced by Ori Chevio and Tom Sidi, Chico Virtual tells the story of a young boy struggling to come to terms with his identity as an undocumented immigrant while daydreaming about the day his hard work will pay off and make him an online sensation.

Related: Perry Mason Reboot Canceled by HBO

Olivia De Camps is the director and writer of Chico Virtual, which is her first film project. Star Jaden Michael is already familiar with the world of film and television due to...

HBO has acquired the broadcast rights to “Chico Virtual,” a short film starring Jaden Michael. Written and directed by first-time filmmaker Olivia De Camps, “Chico Virtual” will premiere on HBO and stream on Max Sept. 18.

The film follows Javier (Michael), a young Dominican American boy who dreams of becoming a viral sensation, and hides that fact from his immigrant parents, played by Maite Bonilla and Fidel Vicioso. Per the official logline, “When Javier’s older brother is late to Javier’s graduation night after a job interview, the family starts to assume their worst fear has finally become a reality. The prospect leads to a direct confrontation between Javier’s emblematic online and at-home personas, forcing the teenager to confront the grim reality of being an undocumented immigrant in America.”

Produced by Tom Sidi and Ori Chevio, “Chico Virtual” was a winner in the 2022 HBO Max Latino Short Film Competition...

Ashley is still missing in action, and the mystery surrounding Octoface has only deepened.

Much of Harlan Coben's Shelter Season 1 Episode 5 was light on the larger mysteries and more insular, spending time delving into the characters' personal lives and headspaces.

In that sense, it was a robust character-building installment to set the pace for the remainder of the season.

If there's one thing that one can take away from this series so far, it is that the friendship among the trio is one of the show's most wholesome, endearing, feels-inducing aspects.

No matter what, can we just protect Mickey, Spoon, and Ema at all costs?

With so much going on surrounding the mystery of who is after Ashley Kent and why, the Dylan Shakes connection, and the teens still trying to go about their lives as teenagers, sometimes it's easy to forget that Mickey hasn't been able to fully...

Global production and distribution powerhouse Fremantle has revealed a strategic alliance at the Venice Film Festival with Israeli-based Ibi Investment House, which involves the launch of a 150 million euro ($163 million) fund to bankroll a portfolio of premium scripted TV and film projects.

Under the deal, which will last four years, Fremantle will bring a diverse range of projects from its network of studio companies to the Ibi fund, fast-tracking the production of each title. The partners say the projects will also benefit from the creative oversight of Fremantle’s global drama team, led by its CEO Christian Vesper, who will work with the fund throughout the lifecycle of each production. All TV projects approved through the fund will be distributed by Fremantle International.

“At Fremantle, we are always focused on innovation and this alliance with Ibi is a perfect example of this ethos and approach,” said Fremantle Group CEO Jennifer Mullin.

Harlan Coben's Shelter has been firing from all cylinders since its impressive launch on Prime Video earlier this month.

On Harlan Coben's Shelter Season 1 Episode 5, the mystery intensifies, and some more secrets are revealed.

TV Fanatic scored an exclusive first look at the episode, and it sets the tone for a thrilling hour of this new drama.

In the clip, Mickey and Spoon follow Ema and get more than they bargained for.

Ema notices they've been doing some investigating of their own and finds the pair outside her house, which is far more luxurious than they anticipated.

Irate that they're meddling, Ema is also taken aback, but not as much as Mickey and Spoon.

How will their decision to find out more about Ema help or hinder their dynamic as we enter the back half of Harlan Coben's Shelter Season 1?

We don't know, but we will be watching it all play out.

One of first projects put forward for funding is a biopic of Maria Callas starring Angelina Jolie

Producer and distributor Fremantle has formed a strategic alliance with Israeli based Ibi Investment House, which is launching a new €150m fund to finance a portfolio of scripted television and film projects

Under an initial four-year deal, Fremantle will bring projects from its network of production companies to the Ibi fund. They include previously announced feature film Maria, a biopic of Maria Callas starring Angelina Jolie to be directed by Pablo Larrain.

The Ibi Fund will work with Fremantle and its labels, producers...

Harlan Coben's Shelter cast brings together a talented ensemble to bring the thrilling book to life in a compelling way. Jaden Michael shines as Mickey Bolitar, the young hero of the story, as he investigates the dark secrets lurking beneath the town's surface. The cast features a mix of newcomers and TV veterans, including Abby Corrigan and Constance Zimmer, who deliver standout performances.

Harlan Coben's Shelter cast brings together an exciting ensemble to bring this thrilling book to life. First published in 2011, Shelter was the first novel in Harlan Coben's young adult novels featuring his popular teen protagonist, Mikey Boiltar. The success of the novel and its sequels has pushed forward the television adaptation with Prime Video airing the new teen-led mystery series that follows the intrigue and dark adventures of the book. One of the most interesting aspects of the show is the Harlan Coben's Shelter cast which features newcomers and television veterans.

The good news is that the hour didn't feel as though it was hurtling through too much plot at lightning speed.

As a result, Harlan Coben's Shelter Season 1 Episode 4 was infinitely easier to follow but still filled with twists and that tense cliffhanger.

We also have some confirmation about Ashley's whereabouts, but for how long?

As suspected, Rachel is a friend, not a foe, and Bat Lady remains one of the series' most puzzling characters.

Shelter is one of those series that, more often than not, makes it challenging to keep up with all the little tidbits they throw at us as it spins about a dozen plots simultaneously on its axis.

Nevertheless, it's an intriguing ride, and whether you can keep up with everything or not, it's nothing short of entertaining, primarily due to the likability of many of the series' characters and how well the actors do at bringing them to life.

Harlan Coben’s Shelter is a new mystery drama series that takes the viewers through a deep, dark forest in the hope that the story’s matrix of truth and lies will keep you entertained while you keep second-guessing the next turn of events. Shelter Episode 4 proves that the mystery of Brad’s death and the intentions of the ‘Bat Lady’ regarding Brad’s son Mickey will not be deciphered so easily. Although the episode did give us some answers, especially regarding Ashley and Rachel’s connection, there are many questions that were left unanswered. The episode was a mixed bag this time. It meandered from one story to the next without much fervor.

The whole subplot exploring Shira’s past seemed out of place and disturbed the pacing, but as soon as the episode focused on Ashley and the Bat Lady, the intrigue was back. Shelter Episode 4 did a...

Prime Video will be releasing new TV shows in September, including a sequel to a medieval fantasy series and a spin-off to a popular superhero show. The Wheel of Time is a fantasy medieval show based on a novel and is considered one of the best recent fantasy TV shows. The Continental: From the World of John Wick is a spin-off series that explores the backstory of a character from the John Wick movies and focuses on assassinations and business transactions.

Whether you're a hardcore fan of horror movies or a frequent binge-watcher who spends your weekends glued to the screen, Prime Video is definitely a significant part of your life. While on the one hand, it offers a plethora of movies ranging from the classics to the latest action flicks, and on the other, it produces plenty of new TV shows that are often seen on the trending bar,...

The first three episodes of Harlan Coben's Shelter introduce the mysterious character of the Bat Lady, who is central to the show's mystery. The Bat Lady, also known as Lizzy Sobek, is rumored to eat children, but it is revealed that she actually saved children from Auschwitz during World War II and continues to protect them in Kasselton. The Bat Lady informs Mickey that his father, who was thought to be dead, is still alive, adding to the intrigue and mystery of Harlan Coben's Shelter.

Amazon Prime Video dropped the first three episodes of Harlan Coben's Shelter on August 18, 2023, and the beginning of the television show has brought up some questions surrounding the character of the Bat Lady, played by Tovah Feldshuh. The Bat Lady first appeared during the series premiere when the main character, Mickey Bolitar (Jaden Michael), moved to his dad's hometown, Kasselton, New Jersey, following his father's tragic death,...

Harlan Coben's Shelter is a bingeable teen mystery show that follows the whodunit premise of Harlan Coben's young adult book series. The show borrows from thriller-mysteries and high school drama, appealing to fans of the genre. The first three episodes of the eight-episode season were released on August 18, with the remaining five episodes dropping one at a time on Fridays until the season finale on September 22.

With its infectious whodunit premise, Harlan Coben's Shelter is exceedingly bingeable television, which leaves many viewers wondering about season 1's episode count and when future chapters will hit Prime Video. Based on crime writer Harlan Coben's Shelter, the first novel in the young adult series about high schooler Mickey Bolitar, the show stars Jaden Michael (Colin in Black & White) as its teenage protagonist. With a script penned by Coben, the pilot episode follows the first book's setup closely: Mickey moves in with...

The new format of web series allows writers to adapt novels to their full capacity. Even if the series is not based on a novel, the writers can still fully expand on the characters and go deep into the story, which otherwise wouldn’t be possible. The new series Shelter (aka Harlan Coben’s Shelter) is based on Harlon Coben’s book of the same name, and it follows Mickey Bolitar as he begins his journey into a deep, dark world of murder and intrigue after his father’s death. There have been many series that have had school-going kids involved in a mystery much beyond their initial grasp, but through sheer courage, they find out the truth. Recently Stranger Things and Dark, are two that come to mind, and Shelter spins its own yarn to pull the viewer into its world.

Spoilers Ahead

There are multiple characters in the plot.

For more than three decades now, Harlan Coben has held readers captive with his mystery and thriller novels — twisty tales of suburban families undone by long-buried family secrets, mysterious disappearances, suspicious reappearances, and threats from strangers who know too much. And lately, Coben has been expanding his empire to television, both with series he created for the medium — e.g. Safe and The Five — and those adapted from his novels for markets around the world. In 2018, Coben signed a multi-million-dollar, five-year deal with Netflix to turn 14 of his books into movies and TV shows for the streaming platform. He and Netflix extended the deal last year, adding four more years and a dozen more titles to the original agreement, according to Deadline. And now, Coben has a new show on Prime Video, Shelter (episodes drop Fridays through September 22), in which Jaden Michael, Adrian Greensmith, and Abby Corrigan play teens investigating...

Amazon's teen mystery show "Shelter" could be the successful revival of the "Goonies" that fans have been waiting for, unlike other teen mystery shows that have struggled to last beyond one season. "Shelter" explores mature themes such as death, loss, addiction, and recovery, while also maintaining humor and sarcastic levity. It offers a darker and more modern version of the beloved "Goonies" that is both familiar and intriguing. Adapted from Harlan Coben's Mickey Bolitar book series, "Shelter" has the potential for multiple seasons, fulfilling the long-standing wishes of fans who have been waiting for a "Goonies" franchise. The series combines charismatic leads, exciting mysteries, and a larger conspiracy that keeps viewers engaged.

This article mentions death and addiction.

Amazon's new teen mystery show Shelter is the dark Goonies revival that's taken 38 years to arrive. Except for Stranger Things, teen mystery shows have had a bumpy ride the last few years,...

Ashley is alive, but where the hell is she?!

Keeping up with the breakneck pace for all the twists and turns this series is throwing at us, Harlan Coben's Shelter Season 1 Episode 3 was filled to the brim with revelations.

Of course, it also opened the door for a gazillion more questions. This series is hellbent on keeping our heads spinning.

Is Brad alive or not? Who took Ashley and why? Why is Rachel being so shady? So all sides of the Shira, Hannah, and Ken triangle have touched in more ways than one? Whew!

The series mix-matching the characters and how the trio interact with each other are among the most fun things to happen.

During Harlan Coben's Shelter Season 1 Episode 2, we had a heavy dose of Mickey and Ema, and it was such a unique vibe. When Ema realized that she liked Mickey and dropped her antisocial defenses, we saw this genuinely caring,...

Are you ready to sink your teeth into a great mystery?

There's nothing better than a series that can capture the right tone of a suspenseful mystery while presenting rich characters who instantly lure you in.

And Harlan Coben's Shelter Season 1 Episode 1 excels at this from the second we lay eyes on Jaden Michael.

We're embarking on yet another book-to-screen adaptation, this time inspired by the work of Harlen Coben, and it doesn't show any signs of disappointment.

Shelter doesn't waste a single minute of its 55-minute-long premiere. If the rest of the season manages to keep up this type of momentum and strong storytelling, we're undoubtedly in for quite an exhilarating ride.

The series' strength is in these characters, who instantly feel thoroughly established, likely due to their being source material and a great cast who brings them to life.

Notably, Jaden Michael is a strong lead. Anyone...

Oh, how this series weaves tangled webs.

With some of the series' foundation out of the way, Harlan Coben's Shelter Season 1 Episode 2 could zero in on some of the mysteries introduced, and the hour was easier to follow.

The installment was packed with some revelations and new developments, from the return of Kitty, Ema's prophecy, Mrs. Friedman digging into Mr. V's disappearance, and that tense cliffhanger.

Ashley was not as we could've imagined, and the more they dug into what happened to her, the more things came out about her.

Meanwhile, the familial elements that the series explores, whether the Bolitars or the Taylors, elevate the installment, too.

But one thing that sticks out about this hour is that Shira was onto something about everyone having secrets, and a past, too.

Again, one can't gush enough about Jaden Michael and how fantastic he is as Mickey.

It's...

“The man who attacked my husband had a tattoo on his face… of an octopus!” That line is delivered with funeral home-seriousness in new Prime Video series Shelter. It is far from alone. “By all means,” says one character with the earnest commitment of an Oscar-clip, “proceed with your twisted mind games and murdering of drama teachers!” Another poignantly confides in a friend about his mother’s depression with the sad words, “It started when she was a teen tennis pro.”

Do they know? They have to know.

I don’t know if they know. At some points watching Harlan Coben’s Shelter, you’ll think the creators are definitely in on the joke. The dialogue feels zippy and ironic, as if the characters are aware that they’re essentially in a Scooby Doo episode themed, with bewildering poor taste, around child abuse, underage sex trafficking, and the Holocaust. At other points,...

Shelter is the newest addition to the on-screen Harlan Coben Universe. A Young Adult-skewing eight-part thriller, it’s the story of high schooler Mickey Bolitar, who’s recently moved from overseas to his dad’s hometown of Kasselton, New Jersey, where he and his new friends investigate the disappearance of a fellow student. Like any Harlan Coben series, it takes place in a heightened world peopled by memorable villains, shock twists, cliff-hangers, and mysteries that change shape multiple times before they’re solved.

Mickey Bolitar is the star of three novels by Coben – a spin-off trilogy from his hit 11-part book series about Mickey’s uncle Myron Bolitar. Netflix has the rights to that character, so don’t expect to find an actor playing him in the cast rundown below. Here’s more on the actors telling this story.

Jaden Michael as Mickey Bolitar

Mickey Bolitar is a talented high...

Swapping a book character from male to female for a screen adaptation is nothing new. It’s usually done to even out the gender balance or modernise an older story. Not though, in the case of Harlan Coben’s Shelter, an eight-part thriller now streaming weekly after its first three episodes arrived on Prime Video on August 18.

In the book Shelter, by aforementioned hit-machine Harlan Coben, the lead character Mickey Bolitar is the nephew of Coben’s most famous character – Myron Bolitar. A talented high school basketball player who became a sports agent to the rich and powerful, Myron is the lead in an 11-novel series, which spawned a three-book Young Adult spin-off about his nephew Mickey.

Because every streamer wants a bite of the profitable Harlan Coben cherry, the author has multiple adaptation deals. His main contract is currently with Netflix, which has already adapted several of his (mostly...

Harlan Coben is a bestselling author the world over. He's known for twisty and suspenseful thrillers featuring ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances.

Coben has only written one series for the young adult audience, the Mickey Bolitar series that began with Shelter, and Harlan Coben's Shelter premieres Friday, August 18, on Prime Video.

Executive producer and director Ed Ornelas joined TV Fanatic on a Zoom call this week to discuss the series, and his passion for the project was infectious.

I have not read the books, but I can attest to the story as it unfolds in the new series. It begins with Mickey Bolitar losing his father in a fatal accident and his mother spending months in rehab.

In the wake of the accident, Mickey (Jaden Michael) lives with his aunt, Shira (Constance Zimmer), where he meets Ema (Abby Corrigan) and Spoon (Adrian Greensmith), and the three form an unlikely but...

Bookmark this page because TV Insider is providing you with a handy weekly list. With so much on TV — including new and standout episodes in primetime, streaming premieres, movies, and specials — we’re hoping to make it a bit easier for you to keep track of everything you don’t want to miss. Every Monday, on our Shows page, we list the top 25 shows that excite us for the week ahead. Read on for what to watch the week of August 14-20. Another one of Harlan Coben’s works is coming to TV this week, so of course we’re excited. Shelter follows a high schooler who starts over after his father’s death only to get tangled up in the mysterious disappearance of a new student and the secrets in a quiet suburban community. Solar Opposites returns (August 14 on Hulu) with more adventures from its aliens and Dan Stevens now voicing Korvo.

The CW has found its Jonathan Kent. Australian actor Michael Bishop has been tapped to play the role in the upcoming third season of the CW’s Superman & Lois in a recasting. He replaces Jordan Elsass, who played Jonathan in the first two seasons and revealed he would not be returning for Season 3. Jonathan Kent is the son of Clark/Superman (Tyler Hoechlin) and Lois’ (Elizabeth Tulloch).

Based on the characters from DC created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, Superman & Lois is developed by Greg Berlanti and Todd Helbing, who serve as executive producers, with Sarah Schechter, Geoff Johns and David Madden. Todd Helbing wrote the teleplay for the first episode, based on a story by Berlanti and Helbing. Lee Toland Krieger executive produced and directed the first episode. Superman & Lois is from Berlanti Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television.

Superman & Lois revolves around superhero Superman...

Exclusive: Andrew Polk will star alongside Anthony Hopkins, Jeremy Strong and Anne Hathaway in Armageddon Time, James Gray’s coming-of-age film for Focus Features, which has now wrapped production.

The film, written and directed by Gray, is inspired by his life in a pre-Reagan America set in Queens, New York. It reunites him with Darius Khondji, the Oscar-nominated cinematographer who previously lensed his films The Immigrant and The Lost City of Z.

Gray is producing with Anthony Katagas, Marc Butan and Rodrigo Teixeira. Focus Features will distribute the film in the U.S., with Universal Pictures International handling distribution in other territories.

Polk is a Daytime Emmy winner who recently appeared in Danny Strong’s Hulu series Dopesick and Alan Taylor’s Sopranos prequel film The Many Saints of Newark. The actor has also appeared in films including The Week Of, Rebel in the Rye,...

For his first film since winning the Oscar for 2018’s “Green Book,” Peter Farrelly again ventured into new regions of the country. The 40-day shoot of “The Greatest Beer Run Ever,” set between fall 1967 and spring 1968, was split between Thailand and northern New Jersey.

Thailand filled in for Vietnam; bars, churches and other locations in Newark, Paterson, Jersey City and North Bergen were convincing doubles for New York City of the era.

The entire film was to be shot in New Zealand until Covid-19 scuttled those plans. Farrelly heeded the advice of his friend, Sony Pictures Classics co-president Tom Bernard, who told him “if you’re going to shoot in New York, go to New Jersey. It’s cheaper and you got all the same stuff.”

On top of that, he was able to work in the home state of his producer Andrew Muscato, a documentarian making his narrative feature debut.

MGM International Television Productions and Scandinavia’s local streaming leader Nent Group have signed a multi-year deal to develop and co-produce six English-language original international series for the Nordic company’s SVOD service Viaplay.

The partnership’s first two projects will be “Billy the Kid” and “Last Light,” both of which were previously announced. Under the deal, all six series will be Viaplay Originals and will launch exclusively on the service throughout the Nordics, Baltics, Netherlands and Poland, with MGM handling distribution in the rest of the world.

“Billy the Kid” is an epic romantic drama series from Michael Hirst (“Vikings”) starring British actor Tom Blyth (“Benediction”) as the famous American outlaw. The series is a co-production with Epix Studios and MGM International Television Productions, in association with Nent Group. Otto Bathurst (“Peaky Blinders”) is directing the first two episodes of the eight-episode first season.

“Last Light,” which MGM is...

Vic Mensa performed a pair of songs from his upcoming EP, I Tape, with Wyclef Jean and Peter CottonTale on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert Thursday, February 25th.

The performance was staged in a large warehouse space and began with Mensa and Jean performing “Shelter” while they and a group of men wearing prison uniforms and hoods lay on the ground. Over the course of the performance, the men slowly sat up, and when Mensa switched over to the fiery “Fr33dom” everyone had risen and coalesced into a euphoric mosh pit.

Iceage have announced their new album Seek Shelter, out May 7th via Mexican Summer.

To accompany the release, the band dropped the dark new single “Vendetta.” Directed by Jonas Bang, the video features Croatian-Danish actor Zlatko Burić in various scenes — wearing sunglasses, peeling apples, and smoking cigarettes — while the band performs the searing track.

“Crime is the undercurrent that runs through everything,” frontman Elias Bender Rønnenfelt said of the track. “If you don’t see it, you’re not looking. In its invincible politics, it is the glue that binds it all together.

Exclusive: CAA has signed writing duo Kaz and Ryan Firpo. The cousins wrote Marvel’s highly-anticipated Eternals directed by Chloé Zhao, which is set for release on November 5.

The agency move coincides with the formal launch of their production label Badłands, for which they have spent the last year building a slate of both feature and television projects, including The Motor City Girls, an original feature that Kaz will direct.

Over the past year, Kaz and Ryan’s original sci-fi/stoner-comedy spec The Aliens Are Stealing Our Weed sold to Paramount, with Gina Rodriguez starring and producing. Most recently, The Firpos adapted Mark Millar’s graphic novel Prodigy as a feature for Will Packer that is slated to launch Netflix’s “Millarworld” cinematic universe.

The duo rose to prominence with their first screenplay Ruin, which topped the Black List and currently has Justin Kurzel attached to direct. Subsequently, their neon-tinged,...

Vic Mensa has teamed up with Chance the Rapper and Wyclef Jean for a new song, “Shelter.”

The song is centered around a poignant guitar loop and finds the three artists tackling racial injustice and systemic inequality with righteous clarity. The song arrives with a fittingly eerie and surreal music video, directed by Andre Muir, in which bodies lie in rest on the street in a nod to the devastating impact Covid-19 has had on black communities.

“’Shelter’ is a spiritual note, a healing frequency,” Mensa said in a statement.

FilmNation TV UK has signed a two-year development deal with Reggie Yates, the British broadcaster and director whose debut feature film Pirates was halted mid-shoot by the pandemic.

Launched last year as partnership between U.S. outfit FilmNation and Scandi major Nordic Entertainment Group, FilmNation TV UK is being headed up by Creative Director Kirstie Macdonald and is developing a slate of premium scripted TV projects.

Those now include Patriarch, a four-part series written by Yates inspired by his short film of the same name which was shown on Channel 4. It will tell the story of an estranged father and son who find each other at a turning point in each of their lives.

Yates made his name as a TV and radio host in the UK before he began directing docs. His debut short Shelter aired in 2017 and his second, Date Night, starred Daniel Kaluuya. Pirates follows three...

Madeon has released a new video for “Miracle” from the album Good Faith. Directed by Lena Headey and starring Maisie Williams — both Game of Thrones alums — the clip depicts Williams getting into a surreal, violent collision with another person and dealing with its aftermath.

The producer released Good Faith in November 2019, featuring the singles “All My Friends,” “Dream Dream Dream” and “Be Fine.” On the album’s inspiration, he told Paper magazine, “A big theme for me was my relationship to my mood, my health, mental health and questioning for...

Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of film and TV critics two questions and publishes the results on Monday.

This week’s question: “The Book of Henry” has been assailed by critics. But let’s look beyond this particular reviled new release. What’s the worst movie you’ve ever reviewed?

Alissa Wilkinson (@alissamarie), Vox

It’s unfortunately not even a contest: “God’s Not Dead 2,” which I reviewed for Flavorwire and then wrote about it further for Thrillist. (The first movie is actually far worse, but I didn’t review it.) They’re actually not the worst-made movies I’ve seen, but as a Christian and a film critic, I find them so actively offensive and cynical that it’s somehow even more depressing. I didn’t derive any joy from the process, but it felt important that I write about it.

Kristy Puchko (@KristyPuchko), Pajiba/Cbr.com...

Scott Derrickson (Doctor Strange, the upcoming Locke & Key pilot episode) and Daveed Diggs (Hamilton) now have some company aboard the arctic train in TNT's Snowpiercer. A few weeks after the director and actor, respectively, joined the pilot episode adaptation of Bong Joon Ho’s film of the same name, Jennifer Connelly has now joined the cast as Melanie Cavill, the "Voice of the Train."

Press Release (via The Futon Critic): Turner's TNT has cast Jennifer Connelly, who earned an Oscar(R) for her performance in A Beautiful Mind, to star in the network's drama pilot Snowpiercer. She joins Tony Award(R) winner Daveed Diggs (Hamilton, Black-ish) in the futuristic thriller, which will be directed by Scott Derrickson (Doctor Strange). Based on the acclaimed movie of the same name, Snowpiercer is a co-production of Tomorrow Studios and Turner's Studio T, along with Cj Entertainment. The project is being executive-produced by writer-showrunner Josh Friedman (Avatar 4,...

Officer Michael Long of the Philadelphia Police Department has been accused of animal cruelty.

According to CBS Philly, on Nov. 23 of last year, a Good Samaritan discovered a trash bag with something poking out of the top at Wissahickon Valley Park. Upon closer inspection, the rescuer discovered the garbage bag contained a live, but emaciated, dog wrapped in a sheet.

The Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals’ Humane Law Enforcement Team was called in to help. The officers rushed the 3-year-old dog, who is named Cranberry, to a Pspca shelter for medical care. At the shelter, the...

Exclusive: Ivan Tverdovsky’s supernatural drama scores deals for New Europe Film Sales.

Arrow Films has picked up North American and UK rights to Ivan Tverdovsky’s supernatural drama Zoology from New Europe Film Sales.

The deal was concluded shortly after the film’s North American premiere screening in at Toronto International Film Festival and ahead of its screening at this week’s Zurich Film Festival.

Zoology, which won the special jury prize at Karlovy Vary, follows a middle-aged zoo worker whose quiet life in small coastal town seems to be going nowhere until one day she undergoes a supernatural transformation.

Producers are New People Film Company (Russia), Arizona Productions (France) and Moviebrats (Germany).

Read: Karlovy Vary Q&A: Ivan I. Tverdovskiy, ‘Zoology’

Arrow plans to release the film theatrically in all three territories as part of a theatrical push into the North American market.

The expanding outfit launched Us classics/cult label Arrow Video 18 months ago and...

Distributor has made four hires, including Mike Hewitt from Universal.

UK distributor Arrow Films has bolstered its head-office team with four hires.

Mike Hewitt has joined as brand marketing and business development manager. Having begun his career at distributor Revolver Entertainment, Hewitt worked on the acquisitions of titles including Iron Sky. Joining Universal in 2011, he oversaw the theatrical and home entertainment campaigns of films including Wild Bill, Spring Breakers and Kick-Ass 2.

Daniel Perry has taken up the position of digital strategy manager, having previously worked at ITV Studios and Disney, where he managing digital releases and marketing strategies for franchises including Toy Story and Thunderbirds.

Kevin Lambert will be the company’s head of catalogue production and acquisitions. He joins having spent the past 16 years as production manager for Eureka Entertainment, which owns Masters of Cinema, the publisher of classic re-releases on DVD and Blu-ray.

Finally, Darren Kerr has joined as finance and operations director. Kerr is...

At a loss for what to watch this week? From new DVDs and Blu-rays, to what's streaming on Netflix, we've got you covered.

New Video on Demand, Rental Streaming, and Digital Only

"The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2"

Welcome to the final Hunger Games. You can volunteer as tribute, one more time, when Jennifer Lawrence's last film as Katniss is released on Digital HD March 8. It'll be out on Blu-ray, DVD, and On Demand March 22. Also, for the first time ever, "The Hunger Games Complete 4-Film Collection" will be available on Blu-ray and DVD on March 22. The Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital include audio commentary with director Francis Lawrence and producer Nina Jacobson; "Pawns No More: Making The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2" 8-Part Documentary, "Jet to the Set," and a ton of behind-the-scenes featurettes on visual design, the acting ensemble, costumes, hair and makeup,...