Ryan Murphy announces the topic for American Crime Story Season 3 – Gianni Versace
We haven’t even seen anything from the second season of Ryan Murphy’s phenomenon American Crime Story, but it was confirmed on Tuesday that American Crime Story Season 3 will revolve around the murder of fashion mogul Gianni Versace. In 1997, the icon was gunned down outside his Miami Beach home by serial killer Andrew Cunanan, and the entire chronicle became loud tabloid fodder.
Will there be a John Travolta sized star trying to make a comeback in this lurid tale of bloodshed and glitter? Will Murphy be able to succeed with another mid-90’s media sensation story? Who is going to star in this thing? Here are 3 casting choices that should make his job a little bit easier.
When information started coming out about Andrew Cunanan, he was often described as a charismatic and charming individual. How to Get Away with Murder‘s Conrad Ricamora is definitely a fan favorite, but he’s unknown enough to carry the right mixture of menace and mystery. I have never been more dead set on a casting decision before. Don’t let me down, Ryan Murphy!
Murphy is probably going to get Antonio Banderas to play Gianni Versace, but I have something totally bonkers for him to consider. Anyone remember Just Shoot Me? Anyone? You in the back! Doesn’t Enrico Colantoni look a LOT like Versace? Sure, he’s not a tested dramatic actor, but look at that resemblance! It would at least be a way to make David Spade pissed. Plus, Colantoni did get a chance to play Versace in 2013’s House of Versace, but the least we say about that the better off we are. Murphy’s series would be Colantoni’s vindication, let’s just say that.
Tom Hardy was set to play Elton John already in Rocketman, but it seems that the project fell through. The picture of John weeping at Versace’s funeral is one of the most publicized picture of the entire saga.
I mean…this is going to happen, right? Lady Gaga is friends with Donatella Versace, and she’s besties with Ryan Murphy. I would put money on this. I would also accept Maya Rudolph or Sharon Stone.
Who do you think should be cast in American Crime Story Season 3? Sound off in the comments!
Chance puts star Hugh Laurie into a world of police corruption and draws viewers along for the ride
Hugh Laurie just can’t seem to keep away from the medical field, and that’s not a bad thing. This time, Laurie plays Dr. Eldon Chance on Hulu’s Original Streaming show, Chance. Any comparisons to his previous stint in House end there. The story is based on Kem Nunn’s novel of the same name. Based in San Francisco, Dr. Chance is a neuropsychiatrist who is going through a divorce and the father of a teenaged daughter.
His newest patient is Jaclyn Blackstone (Gretchen Mol). At first, we’re unsure of her issue, but we soon learn. Jaclyn is just one side of her multiple personalities. One day Blackstone ends up in hospital covered in bruises, and her abusive husband, Raymond (Paul Adelstein), might be to blame… Or is he? Speaking last night at the Los Angeles premiere screening, Mol said, “This is what fascinated me about the pilot script. I didn’t have a beat about who she was, or how truthful she was being.”
Dr. Chance pays a visit to Blackstone, and not only does he develop an interest in her, but he also reluctantly finds himself getting sucked into the world of police corruption and mistaken identity. With his personal life in a tangle, we see Chance make choices down a slippery slope. D (Ethan Suplee) is a thug who is prepared to do anything Chance wants but at a price that includes some shady back alley business and late night ventures in the city.
The first episode was directed by Room’s Lenny Abrahamson, and the first few minutes of the opening scene features a graphic incident where a character gets decapitated. Set in San Francisco, the setting pays homage to noir, namely Hitchcock’s Vertigo. There is a mystery, a feeling of suspense and a feeling of danger that Abrahamson captures alongside the stunning visuals of the San Francisco area, giving the show its mystery/thriller vibe. There’s no doubt the shots of the hills and sea serve as a metaphor to the story we’re watching.
Film producer and Chance executive producer Michael London said, “This was a book that, when I first read, it was my kind of thing. It was a character study that had a lot going on about a character trying to find himself.” He adds, “I loved the idea about a doctor who’d always lived the life of the mind and has to figure out who he is in a dangerous world.”
Not having read the book, I know the stage is set for more mystery and unraveling and I want more. Viewers will be treated to a new episode each week on Hulu. The good news is that Hulu has already renewed the show for a second season.
Photos from the after party and trailer are below.
The La Costa Film Festival honored Chris Noth with the Inaugural Shining Star Award. Dave Karger presented Noth with the award in front of 300 festival attendees. The award was created this year to honor a film or television artist that does not simply exhibit great talent in their work in front of or behind the camera but also represents the film and television industry with integrity.
Noth talked about his career, covering both stage and theater, and he also shared some information on CBS’s The Good Wife spinoff. “I’d be happy to do a couple of episodes. Love to see where that guy ended up. He finished the series just like he started it, by saying he wasn’t guilty. He’s such a great character,” Noth said
Chris Noth finished off the evening on the Red Carpet with his esteemed award in hand.
Also in attendance were Betsy Brandt (Breaking Bad) and Annie Howell. They attended the Closing Night Presentation of their film, Claire In Motion. The film, which premiered earlier this year at SXSW, follows the self-assured Clair, played by Betsy Brandt, whose husband disappears, leaving a trail of puzzling secrets that shatter her certainty.
Big Little Lies, HBO’s 2017 high profile limited series, unveiled a teaser trailer over the weekend. Based on the Liane Moriarty novel, the series stars Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, and Shailene Woodley as three friends and mothers entangled in mystery. The series relocated the novel’s Australian setting to a sunny SoCal locale. The Temptation’s “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone” is smartly used as background music.
It’s very likely that Emmy will stand at attention for the material given its envious pedigree. Jean-Marc Vallee (Wild, Dallas Buyer’s Club) directs with Laura Dern, Alexander Skarsgard, Adam Scott, and Zoe Kravitz all potentially in the running along with the three main stars.
No official release date has been scheduled aside from a 2017 birth.
Episode 99: The Cooler Gang revisits the great 30 Rock on its 10th anniversary.
This week at the water cooler, we’re blurghing our way into the 10th anniversary of NBC’s classic showbiz sitcom 30 Rock. Developed by Tina Fey and starring Fey, Alec Baldwin, Tracy Morgan, and Jane Krakowski, the series rose above subpar ratings to dominate awards ceremonies over its 7-year run. To celebrate, we’re offering up 10 noteworthy episodes for discussion. These may not necessarily be The 10 Best Episodes, but they’re certainly ones we haven’t forgotten.
Before we leap into 30 Rock, we’ll take a quick look at American Horror Story: Roanoke midway through its run and hypothesize what surprises are in store for its sixth episode. We’ll also follow up last week’s Dynasty conversation with a quick look at some recently announced reboots.
And as always, we’ll close with the Flash Forward to the television we’re most anticipating in the upcoming week.
Thanks for listening!
4:29 – American Horror Story: Roanoke
16:53 – Reboots
34:13 – 10 30 Rock Episodes We Love
1:40:35 – Flash Forward
Episode 98: The Cooler Gang tackles Clarence’s wicked Halloween television quiz.
This week at the Water Cooler, we’re getting in the mood for Halloween with a scarily great horror television quiz devised by yours truly. Who has the chops when it comes to their savage horror tv knowledge? Find out as Megan and Joey duke it out. Before that, we’re going to put on our casting hats. The CW recently announced it would reboot the classic 80s soap Dynasty. We’ll take a look at who should fill the four major roles should the series go to pilot. Also, as it is both Halloween and a political season, we talk about the reaction to Donald Trump’s latest controversy and how that impacts Billy Bush.
As always, we close with the Flash Forward of what television most excites us in the upcoming week.
Thanks for listening!
3:32 – News: Saturday Night Live and Billy Bush
11:52 – Cast the CW’s Dynasty
21:52 – 2016 Halloween TV Quiz
Stars Sarah Jessica Parker and Thomas Haden Church make Divorce one worth enduring
You wouldn’t think that the topic of divorce would lend itself to genuine laughs in a comedy. There have been situations in movies and on television where squabbling is definitely amusing or a couple tries to one up the other and it can lead to some funny moments. Breaking up with someone is, at the core, a painful and awkward process. HBO’s new comedy, bluntly titled Divorce, proves that while emotions can get in the way, sometimes the best thing to do in this situation is laugh. The show gets off to a strong start thanks to the chemistry between stars Sarah Jessica Parker and Thomas Haden Church.
Parker and Church play Frances and Robert, a married couple with two kids, and things could be better. The first image we see is Frances gazing at herself in the bathroom mirror. Robert walks in and she clearly has no desire to talk or interact with him (even though he tells her that he took a dump in a coffee can because she’s been commandeering the bathroom for so long), so the show indicates the dark and humorous tone from the very beginning. In the pilot, they attend the 50th birthday party for their friend Diane (a broad Molly Shannon), and her marriage to Nick (an always welcome Tracy Letts) isn’t that great either. When Nick offers them a drink, he says, “I’d offer you wine, but Diane has sucked it all up.” Welcome to the party!
(Photo: HBO)
A dramatic incident at Diane’s party leads Frances to quickly evaluate her marriage, and she comes to the conclusion that she’s no longer happy with Robert–she asks for a divorce before the party is cleaned up. Indiscretions are discovered, and soon the claws are really out. One of the best things about Divorce is seeing how Parker and Church go at each other. Robert changes the locks so she can’t get back in, but she shuts down to him. As this show gets reviewed and talked about it’s very likely that Parker’s quieter performance will be compared to her iconic Carrie Bradshaw. Sex and the City was part if the first Golden Age of HBO, but Frances is so much stiller and internal than anything we’ve ever seen her play before.
It’s easier for people to side with Robert because of how loose and fun he is, and Church is so strong in this show. While he is very charming, Church’s Robert acts like a little boy when he’s hurt. They way he lashes out is reminiscent of how a teenager would react when his girlfriend breaks up with him. In one later episode (HBO provided 6 of the first season’s 10 episodes), Robert takes the blame for something in front of Frances’ parents so they won’t think less of her. It’s moments like these that remind us how complicated marriage and relationships are.
Could the show be lighter? Probably. There’s a lot of pain on display on Divorce, and creator Sharon Horgan is most known for her work on Catastrophe (she was Emmy `nominated for writing this year). That show succeeds on a different level because Catastrophe is broader and brighter. Her first show focuses on how a relationship unexpectedly begins and both people want to participate and make it work but both Frances and Robert both have seen the dead end and can’t find a way out (do they want a way out?).
While a serious subject, Divorce features some great dark laughs. Parker can make a dig cut deep and she’s joined by a game Molly Shannon and a droll Talia Balsam. If anything, Church should be checked off as one of the funniest leading men in a new comedy. If Frances and Robert can’t make it work, I’ll gladly keep Robert company.
Divorce premieres on HBO on Sunday, October 9 at 10:00 p.m. EST. The pilot episode is available for streaming now on HBO GO and HBO NOW.
Showtime released an The Affair Season 3 teaser today via social media and YouTube. The brief clip gives a look at what further turmoil awaits Noah Soloway (Dominic West) and Alison Lockhart (Ruth Wilson). Heavily and smartly featured are co-stars Joshua Jackson and Emmy-nominee Maura Tierney. The action appears to partially take place three years after Noah’s shocking courtroom declaration of guilt that closed Season 2.
Vanity Fairreported back in August that a new character and perspective would be added to the series. She is briefly seen in the trailer along with returning co-stars Catalina Sandino Moreno and Jennifer Esposito.
The Affair Season 3 premieres on Showtime November 20 at 10PM ET.
Prentice Penny talks about making HBO’s great new comedy Insecure
Olivia Pope. Annalise Keating. Cookie Lyon. One thing each of these black leading ladies on television has in common is their strength. But when creator, co-writer, and star of HBO’s Insecure, Issa Rae, initially pitched her show to HBO, she told producers, “I’m not a strong black woman; I’m a weak black woman.”
“Typically on TV, the images of black women in narratives are those that are super put-together or that ‘slay’,” said Prentice Penny, showrunner of Insecure. “There’s this idea that black women can’t be as insecure as white women or any other women. What’s beautiful about our show is just seeing black women as people.”
(Photo: HBO)
Insecure follows the career and romance struggles of Issa (Issa Rae), a woman who works for a nonprofit in Los Angeles, and her best friend Molly (Yvonne Orji), a corporate lawyer. “I think at the core of their friendship is that they’re just so real to each other. They’re truly supportive and accept each other for who they are. They have opinions about how each other lives, but they’re never judgmental opinions. They have each other’s best interests at heart.”
A female narrative about friendship? HBO has certainly done this before, with Sex and the City and Girls, but Insecure ushers in a fresh era of female friendship on television and even dismantles the four-girl formula. Although this wasn’t intentional. In the writers’ room, very few discussions came up about the show’s possible relationship to Girls.
“Obviously you can draw comparisons between Issa and Lena [Dunham], both being writer-performers,” said Penny. “But in terms of the story we are telling, our show is very different tonally. We knew we were just going to be our own thing and that would be enough.”
Another change of tone is how truly real this show feels. You won’t find bonding over Jimmy Choos, something Rae, Penny, and the writers were very cognizant of.
“Issa works for nonprofit, so there’s a certain income level she exists in. Plus, her boyfriend is not working, has been on unemployment for a while. With Molly, we wanted her to be the type of person who lives a better life on paper than she does in real life. She wants her life to look like a catalog. We were always trying to anchor the show in finding the reality of people like this.”
Issa also has a rapping quirk that she uses to pump herself up during insecure moments. In the pilot, she actually ends up taking her act on stage for a very candid performance that ends up on YouTube, a medium Rae, herself, is no stranger to. She’s best-known for her YouTube web series Awkward Black Girl, which has more than 200,000 subscribers. Based on this series, she released a book in 2015 called The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl.
“I had read articles about Issa before I had seen her web series. I think my mom had forwarded me some information because Issa and I are both from the same neighborhood,” said Penny with a laugh. “You know, your mom always gives you stuff like that.”
(Photo: HBO)
When Penny saw that HBO would pick up Rae’s pilot, he knew he had to be part of this adventure. “I just know opportunities like that are so rare for people of color. I thought I could be helpful. I knew I wanted to be showrunner, so I kind of just went after it and got it.”
Prentice Penny’s resume contains varied and layered work on such shows as FOX’s Brooklyn Nine-Nine to NBC’s Scrubs to the UPN classic Girlfriends. He adds many different projects under his belt to give him more opportunities. “As a writer of color, you can get pigeon-holed. Really any writer in Hollywood can get pigeon-holed. I want to make sure stuff I work on feels different.”
Yet, for as different as each project is, each shares the commonality of representing the unheard. The funny side to life in a hospital. What it’s like to be a black, gay cop. Four black women facing life’s challenges together. When choosing projects, Penny often asks himself whether he’ll ever get another chance to do something like it.
“Things you don’t get to do every day,” he said. “That’s what I gravitate toward.”
Insecure is not a show, or narrative, you see on TV every day. And that’s what Prentice Penny and HBO are counting on.
Insecure premieres on HBO on Sunday, October 9 at 10:30 p.m. EST. The pilot episode is available for streaming now on HBO GO and HBO NOW.
