A little over a year ago, Showtime announced that they were ordering a series – then known as Dexter: Origins, now known as Dexter: Original Sin – that would serve as a prequel series to their popular show Dexter, which finished its eight season initial run back in 2013, then recently came back for a new season (called Dexter: New Blood) that appeared to wrap things up for good… We’ve been hearing Dexter: Original Sin casting announcements here and there in recent weeks, and now Deadline has unveiled a batch of images that give us our first look at a few of the cast members in action! Featured in these images are Patrick Gibson of Shadow and Bone as the young Dexter Morgan, Christian Slater of Mr. Robot as Dexter’s dad, Harry Morgan, and Molly Brown of Senior Year as Dexter’s younger sister, Debra Morgan, and they can be seen at the bottom of this article.

Dexter: Original Sin follows Dexter in 1991 Miami, as a student transitioning into a serial killer in training. When his bloodthirsty urges can no longer be ignored, Dexter finds solace and understanding in Harry. As his only confidant, he teaches Dexter a Code that’s designed to help him find and kill people who deserve to die—all while avoiding getting caught by law enforcement. This is a particular challenge for young Dexter as he begins a forensics internship at the Miami Metro Police Department.

Played by Michael C. Hall in the nine seasons of Dexter, the title character is “a serial killer with a code which directs his compulsions to kill only the guilty. As a blood spatter analyst for the Miami police, he has access to crime scenes, picking up clues and checking DNA to confirm a target’s guilt before he kills them.“

Dexter: Original Sin will be available from Paramount+ with Showtime. The first season of the show is expected to consist of 10 episodes. Production is currently underway in Miami.

In addition to the actors mentioned above, the cast includes Christina Milian of Falling Inn Love (as Maria LaGuerta, Miami Metro’s first female homicide detective), James Martinez of Love, Victor (as Angel Batista, an up-and-coming homicide detective who leads with his heart), Alex Shimizu of The Blacklist (as Vince Masuka, a forensic analyst who eagerly shares his expertise while relishing the chance to boss around his new intern, Dexter Morgan), Reno Wilson of Mike & Molly (as Bobby Watt, the longtime partner and confidant of Dexter’s adoptive father, Harry), Patrick Dempsey of Grey’s Anatomy (Aaron Spencer, the Captain of Miami Metro Homicide who has a decades-long relationship with Harry Morgan), Sarah Michelle Gellar of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Tanya Martin, the CSI Chief at the Miami Metro Police Department and Dexter Morgan’s new boss), Joe Pantoliano of The Matrix (as Mad Dog), Brittany Allen of The Boys (as Dexter’s biological mother, Laura Moser), Randy Gonzalez of Bloodline (as Santos Jimenez), Aaron Jennings of Pure Genius (as Clark Sanders), Raquel Justice of One Day at a Time (as Sofia), Jasper Lewis of V/H/S (as Dexter’s adoptive mom and wife of Harry, Doris Morgan), Carlo Mendez of The Bay (as Hector Estrada), Isaac Gonzalez Rossi of That’s Amor (as Gio), and Roberto Sanchez of Palm Royale (as Tony Ferrer).

Clyde Phillips, who served as showrunner on the first four seasons of Dexter and returned to the job for Dexter: New Blood, serves as showrunner on this new show as well. Phillips is also executive producing alongside Scott Reynolds, Mary Leah Sutton, Tony Hernandez, Lilly Burns, and Michael C. Hall. Robert Lloyd Lewis is producing with Showtime Studios and Counterpart Studios. Michael Lehmann, who directed Slater in the cult classic film Heathers, will serve as directing executive producer. The show is being creatively overseen by Gary Levine and Urooj Sharif for Showtime Studios, with production supervised by Tara Power. It will be distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution outside of Paramount+ markets.

Last we heard, Dexter: New Blood is also expected to continue on Showtime, now shifting the focus to Dexter’s son Harrison. Phillips is overseeing the expansion of the Dexter franchise, with other possibilities in the line-up including “spinoffs that trace the back stories of some of the show’s most iconic characters. This includes John Lithgow’s memorable Trinity Killer.”

Are you looking forward to Dexter: Original Sin? Take a look at the first images, then let us know by leaving a comment below.

The post Dexter: Original Sin first look images feature Dexter, Debra, and Harry appeared first on JoBlo.

Plot: When Sophie’s high school choir is selected for an Italian tour culminating in a performance for the Pope in Vatican City, JJ sees this as an opportunity to bond with his new stepdaughter, so he volunteers to help chaperone the group through the Venetian canals, across Florence’s renowned bridges and into Rome’s most historic sites. Instead he finds that he and Sophie have become unwitting pawns in a terrorist plot that could end the world as we know it. 

Review: My Spy originally debuted at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic after being pulled from release in August 2019. With mediocre reviews, the Dave Bautista-led action-comedy was solid family entertainment when audiences sorely needed new things to watch. Four years later, Dave Bautista and Chloe Coleman have reunited for a sequel that is bigger and better than the original but still nowhere near as good as it should be. With a better villain and a more ambitious, globe-trotting plot, My Spy The Eternal City benefits from the chemistry between the two leads as it develops into a much different story than what we saw in the original. A more mature storyline focused on spycraft coupled with teenage drama makes for a funnier and more action-packed movie than the first.

In the 2020 film, Dave Bautista played JJ, a former Special Ops soldier turned CIA operative who botched his first mission. When his boss, David Kim (Ken Jeong), assigns JJ and tech specialist Bobbi (Kristen Schaal) to observe the wife and daughter of an arms dealer. The daughter, Sophie (Chloe Coleman), quickly realizes JJ is a spy and blackmails him into teaching her what he knows. Eventually, the arms dealer is jailed, and JJ begins a relationship with Sophie’s mother, Kate (Parisa Fitz-Henley). Four years have passed since the first movie, and the blended family has relocated to Virginia from Chicago, where JJ works as an analyst, having given up fieldwork to be a dad. Kate works as a doctor in Africa, leaving JJ and Sophie to train together. Sophie, now fourteen, is more interested in boys, especially Ryan (Billy Barratt). JJ is at a loss as to what to do when the opportunity arises to chaperone Sophie’s school choir on a trip to Italy.

The film starts out centered on JJ and Sophie at odds as she tries to spend time with Ryan and be a teen along with her friend Collin (Taeho K), who happens to be the son of David Kim. Some shenanigans ensue as JJ tries to foil Sophie’s troublemaking while also staying in the good graces of Vice Principal Nancy (Anna Faris). Eventually, JJ and Sophie become embroiled in an international terrorist plot that directly involves David Kim and Collin. Bringing Bobbi into the mix, the crew goes from Venice to Florence to Rome to try and stop a potential attack from an unnamed villain and her lead henchman, Crane (Flula Borg), who has a past with JJ. The European jaunt allows for much more action and spycraft than we got in the original My Spy, including car chases, fights, and hacking as bomb detonators count down. While it does not offer much in the way of unique action, the comedy helps elevate these sequences to another level.

Dave Bautista has repeatedly proven that he has the chops to handle comedy, action, and drama. Bautista is far more subtle in this film than in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, playing JJ as an accomplished soldier but not an unstoppable action hero. Bautista delivers some solid sequences throughout but never loses the humanity of who JJ is as a person and his reluctance to beat people up. Chloe Coleman has much more to do in this sequel and holds her own in terms of stuntwork and co-lead in an action film. At only fifteen, Coleman has a bright future ahead of her as an actor. Ken Jeong gets a lot more to do in this sequel, and despite some early jokes, he plays David Kim relatively straight. Kristen Schaal gets a little less to do, but she lands some of the best jokes in the movie. Anna Faris’ role is quite good, playing against the typical roles she has gotten in her career. The biggest surprise is Flula Borg. Borg often plays the most over-the-top comedic characters, but he is a solid villain here. His introduction shows Borg bulked up and ripped to play Crane, which helps sell him going toe-to-toe with Bautista’s JJ during the fight sequences.

Director Peter Segal (Get Smart) returns to helm My Spy: The Eternal City, and this time, he shares a screenwriting credit alongside My Spy scribes Jon and Erich Hoeber. The shift from an adult paired with a kid to a father/daughter dynamic helps the movie, as do the increased stakes of the villain’s plot. Where the first movie felt like Mr. Nanny crossed with Kindergarten Cop, the sequel is much closer to a junior version of Mission: Impossible. The jokes either work really well or fall flat with little middle ground for the rest. The shift from the chaperoned school trip to an all-out action movie is abrupt and makes the film’s first half feel unnecessary, but the chemistry between Bautista and Coleman more than makes up for it. I appreciated the larger-scale action that My Spy The Eternal City brings to the screen, but it also makes me wonder if they will do away with anything but straight spy action if a third movie were to be developed.

My Spy The Eternal City is a major step in the right direction after the underwhelming first movie. This sequel is fun to watch but is still largely forgettable due to the by-the-numbers plot that does not do much we have not seen in countless movies before. There is potential to shift this franchise into a memorable series by keeping the core characters but doing away with the pretext of them leading normal, mundane lives and embracing global action sequences with a solid amount of comedy mixed in. My Spy The Eternal City benefits from Dave Bautista’s charisma and Chloe Coleman holding her own alongside him. This is a fun distraction during the summer that would have played well on the big screen in the pre-COVID days. Slightly too mature for younger audiences, this is a solid watch for teens and families looking for a fun flick this weekend.

My Spy The Eternal City

AVERAGE

6

The post My Spy The Eternal City Review appeared first on JoBlo.

Splitgate was a refreshing flash in the pan when it briefly blew up in 2021. It combined the feel of an old-school arena shooter with the novel and brain-tickling mechanic of on-demand portals. Now the team behind it is promising a sequel that’s bigger, better, and coming sometime in 2025 to join an increasingly…

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Splitgate was a refreshing flash in the pan when it briefly blew up in 2021. It combined the feel of an old-school arena shooter with the novel and brain-tickling mechanic of on-demand portals. Now the team behind it is promising a sequel that’s bigger, better, and coming sometime in 2025 to join an increasingly…

Read more…

Ocean’s Eleven is the best heist film ever made. Let me explain-

Say you’re fresh out of the slammer, you need money, and the only job prospects you have involve running back to the very lifestyle that got you locked up to begin with. Oh, and did I mention your wife also ran off with a rich casino owner? Yeah…Instant conflict anyone? Now, in a situation like this, there’s only one thing you can do. Round up the old crew for a job that promises to be properly epic, high stakes (literally) and of course perfectly stupid enough to excite your friends. So, if you’re looking to dive into the vault of cinematic treasures that is Steven Soderbergh’s Ocean’s 11, or as I call it, the greatest heist movie ever made- then let’s get into it.

Ocean’s Eleven is the 2001 remake of the Rat-Pack-led 60s original. That version is… a real sleeper. As in, I can’t keep my eyes open when I watch it. This film was directed by iconic minimalism filmmaker Steven Soderbergh and stars one of the greatest all-star line-up casts I’ve ever seen. George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Bernie Mac, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Casey Affleck, Andy Garcia, Elliot Gould, and so many more! In this deep dive video, I explain why this movie stands the test of time over twenty years later and remains a classic (with it set to get a star-studded prequel soon). Check it out, embedded above!

The post Ocean’s Eleven: The Greatest Heist Movie Ever Made? appeared first on JoBlo.

While we wait for more news about Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Messiah, HBO is ready to tease more of its upcoming Dune: Prophecy series. Hailing from the expansive universe of Dune, created by acclaimed author Frank Herbert, the story takes place 10,000 years before the ascension of Paul Atreides. Dune: Prophecy follows two Harkonnen sisters as they combat forces that threaten the future of humankind and establish the fabled sect that will become known as the Bene Gesserit. Today’s Dune: Prophecy teaser previews the intense events that shaped the grim future awaiting Paul Atreides and his devoted followers. Dune: Prophecy is inspired by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson’s novel Sisterhood of Dune. The 6-episode presentation debuts in November on HBO and will be available to stream on Max.

Dune: Prophecy will be “told through the eyes of a mysterious order of women known as the Bene Gesserit. Given extraordinary abilities by their mastery of the body and the mind, the Bene Gesserit expertly weave through the feudal politics and intrigue of The Imperium, pursuing plans of their own that will ultimately lead them to the enigmatic planet Arrakis, known to its inhabitants as Dune.” The six-episode series is set “10,000 years prior to the events of Dune and follows the Harkonnen Sisters as they combat forces that threaten the future of humankind, and establish the fabled sect known as the Bene Gesserit.”

The series stars Emily Watson as Valya Harkonnen, leader of the sisterhood, Olivia Williams as Tula Harkonnen, Valya’s sister, Jodhi May as Empress Natalya, Sarah-Sofie Boussnina as Princess Ynez, Shalom Brune-Franklin as Mikaela, Faoileann Cunningham as Sister Jen, Aoife Hinds as Sister Emeline, Chloe Lea as Lila, Travis Fimmel as Desmond Hart, Mark Strong as Emperor Javicco Corrino, Jade Anouka as Sister Theodosia, and Chris Manson as Keiran Atreides.

The original plan was for Villeneuve to helm the series in addition to his big screen directorial duties. Dune: Prophecy, originally announced as Dune: The Sisterhood, went into production in November 2022 with Chernobyl director Johan Renck behind the camera. Why wouldn’t the visionary director of the feature films be making the series? It all came down to timing. With Legendary originally acquiring the rights to the Herbert novels in 2016 and announcing Villeneuve as director in 2017, he was deep into the project by the 2019 announcement of Dune: The Sisterhood. While Jon Spaihts was showrunner for the series, he departed in 2019 to focus on Dune: Part Two, something Villeneuve also opted to make his primary project. That shifted the series to Dana Calvo as showrunner alongside executive producers, including novelist Kevin J. Anderson, co-writer of dozens of Dune prequels and sequels alongside Brian and Kim Herbert, the children of Frank Herbert.

Today’s Dune: Prophecy teaser offers a close look at the dark intent behind the politics and shaping of a world on the brink of war and collapse. Villeneuve made it clear that the Sisterhood is not to be trifled with, and Dune: Prophecy is poised to show how dangerous a group with the power over a person’s will could become.

What do you think of HBO’s Dune: Prophecy teaser? Let us know in the comments section below.

The post HBO’s latest Dune: Prophecy teaser trailer unleashes the true power of the Sisterhood as the world stands on the brink of change appeared first on JoBlo.

Back in 1990, director Joel Schumacher teamed with screenwriter Peter Filardi to bring us the psychological horror film Flatliners, a movie that was memorable enough to receive a forgettable reboot in 2017. Filardi recently regained the rights to his original screenplay – and Deadline reports that he has given author J.D. Barker the chance to write a novel called Flatliners Resurrection, which is based on Filardi’s script but puts a new twist on the concept.

The film has the following synopsis: Seeking answers about the afterlife, Chicago medical student Nelson persuades his fellow pupils to help him end his life, and then resuscitate him in the nick of time. Atheist David, playboy Joe, and troubled Rachel also journey into the unknown, looking for meaning in their own lives. As the experiments become more perilous, each is forced to contend with the paranormal consequences of trespassing on the other side.

Kiefer Sutherland, Kevin Bacon, William Baldwin, Julia Roberts, and Oliver Platt star.

Deadline reports that Barker “swayed Filard with a twist to the original tale that takes the reanimation tale down a different road than the original or a later remake.” If any studios want to bring Flatliners Resurrection to the screen, Intellectual Property Group’s Joel Gotler will broker the deal.

Filardi provided the following statement: “We’re thrilled to have J.D. Barker on board for this project. His ability to craft suspenseful, thought-provoking stories makes him the perfect choice to reinvigorate the Flatliners franchise for a new generation.“

Barker added, “The concept of Flatliners has always fascinated me. I’m honored to have the opportunity to explore these themes of mortality, consequences, and the unknown in a novel format. Fans can expect a story that honors the spirit of the original while pushing into new, uncharted territories. We’re going to scare the hell out of you.“

Barker’s approach to the material is said to lean more into the supernatural element than Filardi’s original script did. The author’s previous works include  Dracul, The Fourth Monkey, and Behind the Closed Door.

Are you glad to hear that Peter Filardi and J.D. Barker are teaming up to expand the Flatliners franchise with a novel? Share your thoughts on Flatliners Resurrection by leaving a comment below.

The post Flatliners Resurrection novel puts a twist on the original Flatliners story appeared first on JoBlo.

Filmmaker Mike Flanagan believes that “Physical media is critical,” which is not a belief that was shared by his former employers at the Netflix streaming service. Flanagan recently said that he tried very hard to get Netflix to release the work he did for them on Blu-ray and DVD, but they “refused at every turn.” But while several Flanagan projects remain on Netflix and aren’t available on physical media, he did reveal earlier this year that he has taken his 2016 film Hush away from the streaming service so he can give it a long-awaited physical media release. We don’t have the details on that release just yet, but it has just been announced that Flanagan is teaming with Shout! Studios to give the film a digital release on August 27th!

Hush will be available for purchase and/or rent across major digital entertainment platforms (like Apple TV, Amazon, Google Play, YouTube, Fandango at Home, and Microsoft) in the U.S. and Canada. This digital release is a collaboration between Flanagan, Intrepid Pictures, Blumhouse, and Shout! Studios.

Flanagan said, “Hush is one of the projects that is closest to my heart, and I cannot think of a better home than Shout! I’m so glad that people will finally be able to rent or purchase the film digitally. I’ve always loved how Shout! Studios champions and treasures their titles, and I also cannot wait for what’s to come… fans of Hush are going to have much to celebrate!“

Hush has the following synopsis: After losing her hearing as a teenager, author Maddie Young has lived a life of isolation fully retreating into her now silent world. When the masked face of a psychotic killer appears in the window of her secluded home, she must push herself beyond her mental and physical limits in order to survive the night.

The film stars Kate Siegel, John Gallagher Jr., Michael Trucco, Samantha Sloyan, and Emma Graves.

With this digital release coming from Shout! Studios, it’s likely we’ll be seeing a special edition Blu-ray release of Hush from Scream Factory at some point down the line… but we’ll have to wait and see about that.

Are you glad to hear that Hush is getting a digital release through Shout! Studios? Share your thoughts on this one by leaving a comment below.

The post Mike Flanagan teams with Shout! Studios for a digital release of Hush appeared first on JoBlo.

Everybody was right about Jeanne d’Arc. The 2006 PSP game from developer Level-5 has been on my radar for a while, thanks to its reputation as a solid tactical RPG with a semi-historical setting—yes, it’s about the 15th century saint Joan of Arc. Unfortunately, the game never found life outside of the PSP, making it…

Read more…

Everybody was right about Jeanne d’Arc. The 2006 PSP game from developer Level-5 has been on my radar for a while, thanks to its reputation as a solid tactical RPG with a semi-historical setting—yes, it’s about the 15th century saint Joan of Arc. Unfortunately, the game never found life outside of the PSP, making it…

Read more…