Production has wrapped on writer/director Taylor Cohen’s Strobe, a thriller that The Hollywood Reporter describes as being “EDM-focused.” (EDM being electronic dance music, or club music.) Suzanna Son (Red Rocket), Chace Crawford (The Boys), Laura Harrier (Spider-Man: Homecoming), Mena Suvari (American Beauty), Grace Van Dien (Stranger Things), Rohan Campbell (Halloween Ends), Suraj Sharma (Life of Pi), Steve Howey (True Lies), Bella Murphy (Coming 2 America), Anthony C Garcia (A Holiday Chance), and musician Matt Champion star in the film, which is coming our way from Happy Place and Super Frog.
Strobe sees Son taking on the role of a high school senior who embarks on an obsessive quest to track down a mysterious EDM artist.
Tara Razavi, Nate Matteson, and Hiro Murai are producing the film. Happy Place provided the financing, alongside executive producer Clayton Moore. Happy Place founder Razavi provided the following statement: “We’re incredibly excited to bring Strobe to life as Taylor Cohen’s first feature film. Suzanna Son was a perfect creative fit, and we are so lucky to have her in the leading role. Taylor has been a key collaborator in our short-form projects for years, and his ability to craft visually stunning and emotionally resonant stories has always stood out. Now he’s bringing that same innovative energy and style to Strobe which, paired with Suzanna’s and the cast’s remarkable performances, will deliver a truly captivating cinematic experience.“
While this is being called Cohen’s first feature, his IMDb page indicates that he previously directed a 90 minute horror film called Acid Girls back in 2014. That doesn’t seem to have received much of a release, if any. He has also directed music videos for the likes of Billie Eilish, Nicki Minaj, Megan Thee Stallion, and Conan Gray. Strobe also happens to be the first film for the Happy Place production company.
I’m not familiar with EDM or with Cohen’s music video work, but this movie has a solid cast, so I’m interested in seeing how Strobe is going to turn out. What sort of thrilling situations are going to come out of this high school senior’s quest to track down the EDM artist? We’ll have to wait and see.
Does Strobe sound interesting to you? Share your thoughts on this “EDM-focused thriller” by leaving a comment below.
Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis collected divisive reactions as soon as it premiered on the festival circuit. Many were already giving their impressions about how his ambition and passion couldn’t quite land in the execution of his vision. It even became a marketing point early on as the studio tried to get ahead of the bad word-of-mouth by giving the perspective that the film is already ahead of its time. However, that marketing ploy would then suffer its own controversy when it was revealed that the critic quotes that were used in the trailer (in order to show how his past regarded works were subject of their own scrutiny) were actually manifested. The film is now out and has had a disastrous showing at the box office and while one review gave it a perfect rating of five-stars, it comes from Coppola himself. ScreenRant now reports on the reactions of the film from other notable directors.
Spike Lee stated, “My brother continues to amaze me and his fearlessness, like he’s going to do what he has to do to get it done. Bottom line.” Spike Jonze would react by saying, “I’m still smiling from it. Radical. I’ve never seen anything like it. I remember hearing about it but never could have imagined what it came to be. There was so much I loved about it, but the tone was the thing that got most under my skin. It was funny and alive and electric and made the world and ideas so vivid. The performances Francis created with the actors and the details of the world… I laughed out loud the whole time. The play and surrealism and joy of creating. It’s incredible that he’s been thinking and working on it as long as he has but it still felt of today, about now and the world we are both in and careening towards.”
Guillermo Del Toro glowed about the film and said, “Francis is still the same bold, fearless, inventive filmmaker that he was in his 20’s. I was Swept by Megalopolis!” And finally, Steven Soderbergh reacted, “WOW! This might be the craziest thing ever shot on American soil. Certainly, one of the most sustained acts of pure imagination I’ve ever seen. I dreamt about it all night—it was inspiring!”
Our EIC, Chris Bumbray, kept an open mind and the film still couldn’t resonate with him as he hoped, saying in his review, “In the last forty minutes, Megalopolis becomes a real disaster, with so much jam-packed into the movie’s third act that it becomes almost impossible to keep up with it. It becomes nonsensical as it races towards its ending. Again, one can’t fault Coppola for his ambition. He financed the movie with money he earned, so he had every right to make exactly the film he wanted to make. But it’s hard to imagine this ever connecting with anyone other than hardcore Coppola devotees or maybe connoisseurs of bad cinema.”
INTRO: Comedies involving a central pair of main characters usually have one thing in common; their premise is generally very simple. Take 1994’s Dumb and Dumber, for example. The Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels all-time classic comedy, in which two hapless, hopeless losers attempt to return a suitcase full of cash to its rightful owner, thrives on how simple both the plot and the two main characters are. The Farrellys had an amazing knack in the 1990s for delivering comedies that were hilarious because they had a simple idea for the plot, plus they weren’t worried about upsetting anybody with outrageous sequences. Those were the days. You couldn’t produce mainstream comedies such as Me, Myself and Irene, Kingpin or There’s Something About Mary nowadays, for fear of upsetting someone.
However, back in the late eighties, audiences, and studios, were a touch more liberal in their thinking, and the simple premise for a comedy was stretched into a high-concept idea in some cases. Up until this point in the decade, Arnold Schwarzenegger hadn’t starred in an out-and-out comedy. Well, not intentionally anyway. I’m not counting Hercules in New York, as although it’s more or less a comedy, it featured an Arnie who was still coming to terms with his grasp for speaking English on screen, and it was very much a simple introduction to Hollywood for the actor. There had been humour in his movies, of course, mainly thanks to those awesome one-liners in Commandoand Raw Deal, for example, but he hadn’t tackled a major starring role in a comedy yet. That was until the opportunity to test himself alongside a figurative giant in the comedy world came along; 1988’s Twins. The movie brought the unlikely pairing of Arnie and Taxi star Danny DeVito together as siblings who are reunited at the age of 35. However, did the gamble for the Austrian Oak to stretch his comedic chops pay off, or should he have stuck to impaling Aussies on steam pipes? Stick around to find out here, on ARNIE REVISITED!
SET-UP: By the time Universal Pictures greenlit Twins they were under no illusion that the movie would be a guaranteed box-office hit, as up until that point, Arnie was only a bankable star because of his proven track record for kick-ass action movies. So, they took some insurance out on the film by agreeing with Schwarzenegger that he would voluntarily take no salary, in exchange for a cut of the movie’s profits. Both co-star Dann Devito and director Ivan Reitman also made similar deals.
Arnie was desperate to land the role of Julias Benedict in the movie because he wanted to break the perception that he could only be successful in action movies like The Terminatoror The Running Man. The actor has always had an unwavering belief in his abilities, and if you’ve read his book, Be Useful: Seven Tools for Life, you’ll know he has an unparalleled desire to test and push himself at every possible opportunity. Looking back on the film’s production during an interview in 2016, Arnie described the decision to drop his salary as “one of the best” in his entire life. You’ll see why when we dive into the box-office returns a little later in the video.
As we all know, the legendary director Ivan Reitman sadly passed away in February 2022, at the age of 75. His wonderful career spanned several decades and he gave us gems such as Stripes, Ghostbusters and of course, the fun movie we’re focusing on in this episode, Twins. He leaves behind a lasting legacy, and his leading man in Twins recalls the appreciation he has for the late director when talking about how he took a punt on the Austrian Oak’s comedy chops when there was doubt in the studio’s minds. Speaking shortly after Reitman’s death, Arnie said, “If you knew him, Ivan had a way of making himself a part of your story, and he certainly wrote a chunk of mine. I’ll always be grateful that he took a chance on this Austrian action-hero in a comedy during a time when the studios just wanted me to focus on finding new ways to kill bad guys, blow things up, and show off some muscles.” It was certainly a gamble to throw
himself into an out-and-out comedic role, but Arnie has never been one to let other people’s doubts get in the way of his ambitions.
Reitman also took on producing duties for the movie, which was co-written by William Davies, Timothy Harris, William Osborne and Herschel Weingrod. With Arnie locked, loaded and ready to stretch those comedy chops, he joined an ensemble that was an eclectic mix of comedy veterans and excellent supporting and character actors. The other main lead was, of course, Danny DeVito as Arnie’s slightly more diminutive twin, Vincent, who plays the perfect foil to Arnie’s more statuesque Julius. Joining the lead actors is the great Kelly Preston as Julius’ girlfriend Marnie, Chloe Webb as Linda, Marnie’s sister and also Vincent’s girlfriend. We also get Bonnie Bartlett as Mary, the twins’ biological mother, NYPD Blue veteran David Caruso as Al Greco, a friend of Vincent’s, plus smaller roles for the likes of Trey Wilson, Hugh O’Brian, and Tony Jay. There’s also room for a young Heather Graham to squeeze in a cheeky cameo, as a young Mary Ann.
The movie was mainly shot on location in New Mexico with the American state providing backgrounds including the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge near Taos, the San Francisco de Asis Mission Church in Ranchos de Taos, St. Francis Cathedral in Santa Fe and buildings in Los Alamos. The original music score was composed by Georges Delerue and Randy Edelman. Edelman has scored three more films for the director, the fun Ghostbusters II and Kindergarten Cop, plus the doomed Six Days, Seven Nights, whereas this was Delerue’s only work for him.
REVIEW: Before Twins was released, Arnold Schwarzenegger was never consistently funny, well not intentionally anyway, and Danny De Vito had never got the girl on screen. It was largely a one-joke project that, in the wrong hands, could have ended up being a prize turkey for all involved. Arnie was desperate to prove the naysayers wrong; to show the world that he wasn’t just a muscle-bound action hero who cracked iconic
one-liners and bones, but not necessarily jokes. The film has gained a cult status over the years, despite lukewarm reviews upon release, but does it hold up more than thirty years later? Well, the answer to that for this Arnie fan is mostly a belly-laughing yes, although it has some issues that stop it from being up there with Ghostbusters in terms of humour, or Ruthless People for DeVito, while it does prove that Arnie can handle comedy.
In the 80s, high-concept movies were in their heyday. If you could break down the premise for your new movie into just a few words and grab your audience instantly, you would be laughing all the way to box-office gold; wise-cracking Detroit cop takes over chic Beverly Hills, a rugged Aussie crocodile hunter takes a bite out of the Big Apple. Screenwriters would be urged to think in one-line pitches and have the movie’s poster mapped out in their heads while working out the plot of their next blockbuster. Twins fits into this model effortlessly, and the posters’ tagline almost writes itself. The plot is therefore unique, but also fairly straightforward; a brilliant but naive virgin called Julius and a coarse but endearing schemer named Vincent find out they’re fraternal twins, and hilarity, mostly, ensues. Julius was planned, grows to athletic proportions and is raised by philosophers, while the orphaned Vincent becomes a lowlife who’s about to be killed by loan sharks before Julius eventually finds his long-lost brother.
The concept for the movie is preposterous, naturally, but the likeable charm of Arnie and DeVito carries it through, with the resulting humour being just about consistently funny enough, to make it a worthwhile entry in the Austrian Oaks’ back catalogue. DeVito has been in better comedies, so there’s no surprise that he excels in the role of a twin who finds out he was basically a mistake, with his brother getting all the good stuff while he got the ‘leftovers’. The plot could have gone off the rails once some stolen contraband is introduced, but director Reitman chooses to forego the stereotypical Arnie movie traits like shoot-outs and car chases, for something a little more nuanced. The choice to make Arnie’s Julius a virgin is also quite clever, with a funny love scene with Kelly Preston on a motel room floor a standout scene.
Ultimately though, the gags don’t come as thick or as fast as the zany concept should have allowed them to. There’s a nice nod to Arnie’s rivalry with Sylvester Stallone, with the actor comparing his muscles to Stallone’s in a poster for Rambo in one scene. However, one decent gag every so often isn’t quite enough to elevate Twins above anything other than a half-decent comedy with some great central performances.
LEGACY / NOW: Twins was released domestically on December 9th, 1988, opening as the number-one movie with an $11 million haul over its opening weekend. It retained the top spot for the next two weekends and went on to gross $112 million domestically, becoming the fifth highest-grossing film in the US that was released in 1988. The movie was released in the UK market on March 17th, 1989 and also topped the charts, helping the film to an impressive £216 million worldwide on a reported budget of only $18 million. Arnie and co were certainly wise to drop their salaries in place of a share of the box office for this one.
Critically, as I mentioned earlier, the movie received a mixed reception. On Rotten Tomatoes it has a 42% approval rating based on 43 reviews, with an average score of 4.8/10. The consensus states: “Though it offers a few modest pleasures for undemanding viewers, Twins leans too heavily on the wackiness of its premise to overcome its narrative shortcomings.” The more traditional critics were also mixed with how well they thought the movie worked, with Empire saying that, “The humour, when it comes, is on a par with Reitman’s Ghostbusters, but the film feels, rather than the solid comedy it is, like a massive missed opportunity.” More enthused was Roger Ebert, who gave the film three out of five stars and called it, “Engaging entertainment with some big laughs and a sort of warm goofiness.”
For this Arnie fan, Twins was, and still is, a fun, serviceable comedy with a great premise, that’s let down by a lack of consistently hilarious gags. The cast are all great and Arnie proves that he can handle comedy, with the impressive box office persuading
the studios to cast him in more comedies. There have also been rumours, announcements, then ultimate cancellations of a sequel to the movie which, let’s face it, is probably a good thing. Some high-concept movies belong to the time in which they were conceived, as it were, so I think Twins should be left alone. However, as usual, I’d love to hear what your thoughts are on the movie, plus whether a sequel should ever appear, despite Jason Reitman claiming it’s never going to happen without his father. Let me know what you think in the comments, and I’ll see you wonderful action fans next time here on ARNIE REVISITED. Thanks for watching!
Longlegs star Nicolas Cage voiced the Marvel Comics character Spider-Man Noir in the animated feature Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, and we’re going to have the chance to watch him play the character in live-action in the upcoming MGM+ and Prime Video series that’s going by the title Spider-Noir. That show is currently in production, and Cage has been spotted on set. Images of him can be seen in the Instagram embeds below – but before you scroll down, I’ll warn you that you shouldn’t expect to see Cage in the full Spider-Man Noir costume in these images. The spy pics only show him wearing a trenchcoat, with no sign of his mask.
Spider-Noir has Cage taking on the role of an aging and down on his luck private investigator in 1930s New York who is forced to grapple with his past life as the city’s one and only superhero. The show is expected to consist of eight 45 minute episodes. Cage has said, “One of the things that I like about this potential show is that it’s fantasy. It’s not really people beating people up. Monsters are involved.“
Cage’s character is Ben Reilly: A retired superhero with the powers of Spider-Man who is too old and broken, both figuratively and literally, to suit up the way he used to. Instead, he takes low-level PI cases and stays out of the ones that involve high-profile names, like that of the Mayor. Through flashbacks, we find out about his past heroics, and past failures, that led him to this point. He is charming, but weathered, and the pilot does an excellent job of setting him up for a good character arc moving forward.
Cage is joined in the cast by Brendan Gleeson as the villain, Li Jun Li as a singer at a high-end nightclub, Abraham Popoola as a World War I veteran, Jack Huston as a bodyguard, Lamorne Morris as journalist Robbie Robertson, and Karen Rodriguez in an unspecified series regular role. A while back, we got our hands on a batch of character breakdowns.
Spider-Noir comes to us from Oren Uziel (22 Jump Street) and Steve Lightfoot (Marvel’s The Punisher), who serve as co-showrunners and executive producers. Harry Bradbeer (Killing Eve) is directing and executive producing the first two episodes. Uziel and Lightfoot developed the series alongside Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, and Amy Pascal, the team behind the Spider-Verse movies. Lord, Miller, and Pascal also serve as executive producers on Spider-Noir.
Are you looking forward to Spider-Noir? Take a look at these images of Nicolas Cage on set, then let us know by leaving a comment below.
Vertical Entertainment has just released the newest trailer for Elevation. Anthony Mackie reunites with director George Nolfi, whom he previously worked with on the films The Banker and The Adjustment Bureau. Mackie is joined by Morena Baccarin of the Deadpool franchise. Scripted by John Glenn (Eagle Eye) and SEAL Team duo Jacob Roman and Kenny Ryan, Elevation is set in a post-apocalyptic Rocky Mountains, where a single father and two women venture from the safety of their homes to face monstrous creatures to save the life of a young boy.
Mackie and Baccarin are joined in the cast by Maddie Hasson (Malignant) and Danny Boyd Jr. (Bruised).
Nolfi, Mackie, and Glenn produced the film with Brad Fuller, Alex Black, Jeremy Kipp Walker, and Joel Viertel. Black, founder of the production company Lyrical Media, provided the financing. Jon Rosenberg and Alex Ginno of Fuller’s company Fuller Media serve as executive producers alongside Natalie Sellers of Lyrical and Jason Spire of Inspire Entertainment. Ryan and Roman co-produced.
Vertical Partner Peter Jarowey had this to say about the distribution deal: “Elevation brings together a world-class group of seasoned professionals, who have combined the fruits of their craft to deliver a film that is not only thrilling but also delivers a cinematic scope that we seldom see outside of the studio system. Its compelling visual elements provide an elevated feel that sets the film apart from the traditional ‘creature feature.’ We look forward to working with George, Brad, and the team to unveil the film to audiences.“
Nolfi added: “Working with Anthony Mackie, for a third time now, Morena Baccarin, and the rest of our exceptional cast and crew to bring this innovative screenplay to life was a blast. Anthony, Morena, and the rest of the team dove in head first (sometimes literally) as we shot action scenes in some extremely challenging places – from a working ski lift high in the Colorado Rockies, to an active mine under a mile of rock – all to enhance the theatrical experience of the film. We are thrilled to partner with Vertical to put this film in theaters all across the country later this year.“
JOBLO MEDIA is looking to hire someone who will become our Director of YouTube Strategy, specifically for our 4 current Originals channels namely JoBlo Originals, JoBlo Horror Originals, JoBlo Celebrity Interviews and JoBlo En Espanol. This is a full-time job that would be a 1-year contract initially, with raises in subsequent years. Your hours would be flexible as long as you’re doing your job and growing the network as per our agreed-upon goals. We’d also send you to the Vidcon Conference in Anaheim every year in order to keep up to date with the latest advancements in the world of media and YouTube.
Your main tasks would be to oversee our Originals Network on YouTube and provide a comprehensive strategic direction for each channel (with adjustments over time), looking to optimize its base of subscribers, increasing its views and with that, its revenues. A creative mind would be appreciated as we’re developing into a pretty major network of Originals content (over 3,100+ videos) and part of your job would be to maximize the monetization of all our current and future content, whether it be on YouTube or beyond!
You would report directly to our President of Operations as well as the CEO himself while you orchestrate strategies to help grow our Originals channels. Part of that may also be developing new shows/series, developing new channels, merging of channels, a ‘spin-off’ of channels and even the redeployment of our current content onto other platforms like TiKTok and others. We already have a Director of Strategy for our Licensed Content channels, and you would certainly interact with that person as well.
The growth of our Originals channels’ will be a big part of the future of the JOBLO YOUTUBE NETWORK which currently comprises of 12 channels with 16.8 million subscribers and over 12.5 billion views since we launched in 2011. Since then, JOBLO has become the 3rd biggest movie network on all of YouTube (and the only one that is still independently owned!), and we are growing at an extremely rapid pace and looking for enthusiastic, experienced and goal-minded individuals who want to grow with us.
Requirements For The Job:
A solid understanding of the YouTube content management system including Analytics and Real-Time
A strategic mind who can analyze numbers and trends over time
Ability to create plans to implement ideas across Originals channels
Leadership qualities that will allow you to manage channel admins
Solid knowledge of spreadsheets (Excel and Google Shared)
Well organized, must be able to function independently if needed
Good communication skills (great for real life too!)
A creative mind to develop new shows/series ideas
You love movies and you loooooove YouTube!
It Would Be Nice If You Had…
Insight into SEO on YouTube, best practices for thumbs, titles, tags
Previous relevant experience with other entertainment channels
Experience in the world of ‘Shorts’ on YouTube or TiKTok
Previous experience supervising others in a virtual environment
Previous hosting experience as we’re definitely considering more front-facing shows so your experience in that field would be relevant
Good graphics knowledge (thumbnails are important)
Ability to spot talent! We’ll be hiring more “YouTube personalities” to host some of our shows so any experience on that front would be nice
If you’ve been a fan of JOBLO MEDIA previously
This is a virtual job in the sense that everyone who works for JOBLO MEDIA works from their own town, city, country or continent, so as long as you have a computer and a strong internet connection, you should be good to go on that front. There would be Zoom calls from time to time but mainly online communication via email and such.
Please email us at dos@joblo.com with your reasonings as to WHY you believe you are the perfect person for this job. We’ve been online since 1998 and we believe that we’re just getting started now! If you’re hip, you love the world of YouTube and motion pictures and think that you’ve got the goods to deliver on this job, send us your resume and let’s see if there’s a match!
Every time a channel reaches 100,000 subscribers, we receive a silver plaque, and when they reach a million subscribers, YouTube sends out a gold plaque. These are some of the awards we have so far:
With news that Kevin Smith could get his Mallrats sequel back on the escalator once again, we do have to wonder who will return. Sadly, with Shannen Doherty’s passing earlier this year, the role of Rene Mosier is the most up in the air. But Smith might have a card up the sleeve of his hockey jersey, saying one of Doherty’s nearest and dearest could fill in.
Kevin Smith recently told The Hollywood Reporter that he has a plan to potentially cast none other than fellow former WB star Sarah Michelle Gellar in the Mallrats sequel, allowing both Rene and the legacy of Shannen Doherty to live on. “Shannen’s closest friend was Sarah Michelle Gellar, and I worked with Sarah on Masters of the Universe: Revelation. So her being Shannen’s bestie and having already tried out for Mallrats 30 years ago next year, I would ask Sarah to step in for Shannen if there’s a possibility that we get to make Twilight of the Mallrats. I think that’d be personally meaningful for her on some level because of her relationship with Shannen…She’d bring Shannen’s warmth with her, and it’s maybe the next best thing to having Shannen there.” THR later reported that Gellar is open to the idea, which could also nudge Twilight of the Mallrats closer to production.
Smith would confirm that talk has gotten more serious about a Mallrats sequel, which would come a full three decades after the original, his Clerks follow-up that completely bombed. “Over the last month, there’s been these weird glimmers of conversations and hope. I’m not saying it’s going to happen, but it suddenly seems like there could be a path to victory, so to speak. And we know who that movie is going to be dedicated to; that’s for damn sure.”
While Doherty no doubt would have done an awesome job in the Mallrats sequel under the right circumstances (I always thought she brought just the right bite to the part), that it can now be a tribute to one of the original cast members offers fans a new way to appreciate the character.
What do you think of Sarah Michelle Gellar replacing Shannen Doherty in Mallrats 2? Give us your take in the comments below.
With news that Kevin Smith could get his Mallrats sequel back on the escalator once again, we do have to wonder who will return. Sadly, with Shannen Doherty’s passing earlier this year, the role of Rene Mosier is the most up in the air. But Smith might have a card up the sleeve of his hockey jersey, saying one of Doherty’s nearest and dearest could fill in.
Kevin Smith recently told The Hollywood Reporter that he has a plan to potentially cast none other than fellow former WB star Sarah Michelle Gellar in the Mallrats sequel, allowing both Rene and the legacy of Shannen Doherty to live on. “Shannen’s closest friend was Sarah Michelle Gellar, and I worked with Sarah on Masters of the Universe: Revelation. So her being Shannen’s bestie and having already tried out for Mallrats 30 years ago next year, I would ask Sarah to step in for Shannen if there’s a possibility that we get to make Twilight of the Mallrats. I think that’d be personally meaningful for her on some level because of her relationship with Shannen…She’d bring Shannen’s warmth with her, and it’s maybe the next best thing to having Shannen there.” THR later reported that Gellar is open to the idea, which could also nudge Twilight of the Mallrats closer to production.
Smith would confirm that talk has gotten more serious about a Mallrats sequel, which would come a full three decades after the original, his Clerks follow-up that completely bombed. “Over the last month, there’s been these weird glimmers of conversations and hope. I’m not saying it’s going to happen, but it suddenly seems like there could be a path to victory, so to speak. And we know who that movie is going to be dedicated to; that’s for damn sure.”
While Doherty no doubt would have done an awesome job in the Mallrats sequel under the right circumstances (I always thought she brought just the right bite to the part), that it can now be a tribute to one of the original cast members offers fans a new way to appreciate the character.
What do you think of Sarah Michelle Gellar replacing Shannen Doherty in Mallrats 2? Give us your take in the comments below.
Comedian Stephen Merchant has helped create such TV shows as The Office, Extras, and The Outlaws, wrote and directed the film Fighting with My Family, and had acting roles in the likes of The Office, Extras, Hot Fuzz, Burke and Hare, Hall Pass, Hello Ladies, The Big Bang Theory, Logan, The Girl in the Spider’s Web, Fighting with My Family, Jojo Rabbit, Modern Family, and The Outlaws, among others. Now, Merchant has confirmed that he’s going to have to deal with zombies, because he has joined the cast of The Walking Dead spin-off The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon (you can read our review of the first season HERE). Although season 2 just recently started airing on AMC, season 3 is already filming in Spain, and those episodes are where we’ll see Merchant show up.
Merchant took to social media to say, “As a fan of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, I was excited when they asked me to join the WD universe for season 3. But don’t ask me for spoilers – my lips are sealed.“
The first season of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon had the following synopsis: Daryl (Norman Reedus) washes ashore in France and struggles to piece together how he got there and why. The series tracks his journey across a broken but resilient France as he hopes to find a way back home. As he makes the journey, though, the connections he forms along the way complicate his ultimate plan.
The six episodes of season 2 pick up where The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon left off, following fan-favorite characters Daryl Dixon (Reedus) and Carol Peletier (Melissa McBride). They both confront old demons while she fights to find her friend and he struggles with his decision to stay in France, causing tension at the Nest. Additionally, Genet (Anne Charrier)’s movement builds momentum, setting Pouvoir on a violent collision course with the Union of Hope in the fight for France’s future.
In addition to Reedus, McBride, Charrier, and Merchant, the show’s cast includes Clémence Poésy, Louis Puech Scigliuzzi, Laika Blanc Francard, Romain Levi, Eriq Ebouaney, and Manish Dayal.
Showrunner David Zabel serves as executive producer alongside Reedus, Scott M. Gimple, Angela Kang, Greg Nicotero, Brian Bockrath, and Daniel Percival. AMC Studios is producing.
Are you looking forward to seeing Stephen Merchant show up in The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 3? Share your thoughts on this one by leaving a comment below.
Sarah Paulson has made quite a name for herself starring in various entries of the American Horror Story series. She’s put on a bevy a great performances and is always trying vastly different things. Annaleigh Ashford has been incredible on Broadway for years and in the great-for-one-season-and-inexplicably-terrible-in-its-second series, B Positive. The two Tony Award winners combine forces for the Hulu horror film, Hold Your Breath. While I wasn’t a massive fan of the film (check out my review HERE) there’s no doubt that their performances are incredible.
It was clear that the most important element for both actresses was to get across the point that the 1930s Dust Bowl was man-made. This makes the story, despite its period setting, have a modern problem. But don’t worry, the film isn’t just about dried-up crops, as it mostly contends with Paulson’s Margaret going crazy during the drought. A descent into madness is always an intriguing story element in horror and Paulson does a great job. I talked to her about the challenges of the role and how she was able to keep track of her character’s insanity despite filming out of order. It was a great talk so make sure to check out the video above!
HOLD YOUR BREATH plot synopsis:
Oklahoma, 1930s. The Bellum family house rests in a valley of dirt as clouds of dust blot out the sun. Margaret (Sarah Paulson) and her two daughters, Rose (Amiah Miller) and Ollie (Alona Jane Robbins), tend to their sparse farm while Margaret’s husband has left in pursuit of work. As they struggle to survive the punishing Dust Bowl environment, a mysterious stranger (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) arrives, threatening all they know and love. But is the threat a closer one?
HOLD YOUR BREATH IS STREAMING ON HULU ON OCTOBER 3RD, 2024.
