J.J. Abrams and Ron Howard are remaking an Israeli TV-movie about a dilemma in the afterlife, because why not? Mark Wahlberg says something potentially confusing about Transformers 4, because he's Mark Wahlberg. And let's hear just a little more from the people behind Fringe, because it's time to say goodbye.
It's spoilers all the way down!
Top image from Fringe, because obviously.
Transformers 4
Here's new franchise star Mark Wahlberg with how he got involved in Michael Bay's (supposedly) final Transformers movie:
"We're doing a complete reboot of the Transformers. I did a movie with Michael Bay called Pain and Gain, which comes out in April. And we had an amazing time together and really hit it off, and he said ‘Hey, you want to do this other little movie I'm doing?' Because that was a little movie, and I said ‘Yeah, I like doing little movies.' And he said Transformers. Whoa! You know what, we had such a great experience, I'm in."
It's probably worth noting that Wahlberg isn't using the word "reboot" in the specific, technical sense it's come to mean in internet discussions, wherein this film takes place in an entirely new continuity from those of the previous three entries. I'm guessing he just means the franchise is restarting the story with new human characters a few years on, especially since that's pretty much exactly what Michael Bay has already said would happen. [TFW 2005]
The Host
Here's a pair of behind-the-scenes videos for the upcoming Stephenie Meyer adaptation, directed by Gattaca's Andrew Niccol and starring Hanna's Saoirse Ronan.
All I've Got
J.J. Abrams is producing and Ron Howard is directing an English-language, big-screen remake of a 2003 Israeli TV movie that's mainly notable for being written by Margalit Keren, who also wrote several episodes of the Israeli TV series that inspired Homeland. So, knowing there's a pretty decent track record for remaking Keren's works in the United States, here's a rundown of the script, courtesy of Vulture:
A fantasy-thriller about a young, very-much-in-love man and woman who get into a freak car accident in which the man is killed. Though the woman moves on and marries another man with whom she has three children, her own death 50 years later only opens more doors. In the afterlife, she is given the choice of forgetting the memory of her life after the accident and becoming young again to be with her first love, or choosing to remain as she is and waiting for her second husband's death.
[Vulture]
Fringe
Showrunner Joel Wyman explains his goals for tonight's series finale, "Liberty"/"An Enemy of Fate":
"At the end of the day I could only look and say, ‘I'm a huge fan of TV myself. What would I really want?' And I came up with two criteria. The first was that I wanted things to be logical and make sense; I didn't want to use any trickery like ‘another universe pops up.' We're past that, and more into the emotional journey of our characters. I wanted to be able to get into a car the next day, if I was a fan, and say, ‘I can imagine where they are now.' I don't like to say goodbye at all, as a person. It bothers me."
[TV Line]
Here are some more cast interview videos, this time with stars Joshua Jackson, John Noble, Jasika Nicole, and Lance Reddick discussing their reactions when they first read the script for the series finale. There's also an interview with Joel Wyman. [SpoilerTV]
Doctor Who
David Morrissey, who's currently busy playing the Governor on The Walking Dead, says he'd very much like a return as his character from the 2008 Christmas special "The Next Doctor", namely quasi-Doctor turned quasi-companion Jackson Lake:
Ah, I'd love that. I would absolutely love to do it again. I had such a ball doing it. Mark Gatiss says, you know, there's nothing more blissful for him to write than "Interior TARDIS: Day" or whatever on the top of one of his scripts, it's living the dream. And for me, when I went down and worked on it, I thought ‘This is great', it's a really well-run show, people take it very seriously but you have fun on it. And l loved that character, I really loved Jackson Lake, I thought he was a really interesting man, he was in some sort of trauma himself and the Doctor liberates him from that...
Once Upon a Time
Here are some set photos from the filming of the fourteenth episode, "Manhattan." [YVR Shoots]
Supernatural
Here's a promo for next Wednesday's episode, "LARP and the Real Girl", featuring a return guest appearance from Felicia Day. [SpoilerTV]
And here's a producer's preview for the episode from showrunner Jeremy Carver. [SpoilerTV]
Arrow
Here's a promo for next week's episode "Trust But Verify", featuring a guest appearance from Farscape star Ben Browder.
And here are some promo photos from the following episode, "Vertigo", in which Arrow keeps on building its absurd genre cred by throwing Fringe's Seth Gabel into the mix. [KSiteTV]
Finally, here's the description for the episode after that, "Betrayal":
DAVID ANDERS ("ONCE UPON A TIME," "THE VAMPIRE DIARIES") GUEST STARS - Cyrus Vanch (Anders), a nefarious criminal, is recently released from prison and intends to re-secure his position as leader of the underworld. His first step is to take down his biggest opponent in the city – Arrow (Stephen Amell). Meanwhile, Oliver shows Moira (Susanna Thompson) his father's notebook and questions her about the names on the list. Thea (Willa Holland) is miserable as she starts her internship with Laurel (Katie Cassidy) at the legal aid office and Detective Lance (Paul Blackthorne) makes a deadly mistake that puts Laurel in the crosshairs of Vanch.
The Vampire Diaries
Here's a promo for next week's episode and eleventh overall, "Catch Me If You Can." [SpoilerTV]
And here's the description for episode thirteen, "Into the Wild":
MYSTERIOUS ISLAND - Shane (guest star David Alpay) leads an expedition to a desolate island off the coast of Nova Scotia, where he believes the secret of the cure lies hidden. On the trek to the island's interior, Rebekah (Claire Holt) and Elena (Nina Dobrev) continue their bitter rivalry, Stefan (Paul Wesley) does his best to keep the peace, and Damon (Ian Somerhalder) accuses Shane of leading them into a trap. Bonnie (Kat Graham) and Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen) try to figure out the message of the Hunter's mark, while Shane reveals more of the legend of Silas and the witch Qetsiyah, along with his own personal history. Back in Mystic Falls, Tyler (Michael Trevino) confronts Klaus (Joseph Morgan), and Caroline (Candice Accola) is caught up in the violence that follows.
The Originals
Let's go to Vampire Diaries executive producer Julie Plec for more on the premise of the proposed Klaus-centric spin-off:
The idea is that a turn of events in Mystic Falls sends Klaus to New Orleans to solve a mystery. He gets word that some people are making a move against him that might concern him. So he heads to New Orleans to try to figure who's plotting against him and what they're up to. And in unfolding that mystery, it takes him back to a town that several hundred years ago, he was actually one of the original settlers of and helped build. He reacquaints himself with a vampire that he actually turned back in the day, Marcel, who has created a whole set of rules and a whole society for the supernatural community that he's in charge of - sort of tipping his hat to Klaus and saying, "You taught me everything I know." So Klaus' protegé is now the big king of the supernatural community in New Orleans and Klaus is stepping back into that.
And here's how Plec describes Marcel:
He is the life of the party. He is diabolical, and dangerous, and he is a rock star. If anything, he's that kind of hard-partying, hard-living vampire who knows how to enjoy the most out of life in the French Quarter.
And so if it were to go to series, New Orleans would remain the setting.
Yes. When I talked about it to the network and the studio, I said, "In its own way, the French Quarter, with its less than 3,000 inhabitants, is the ultimate small town." So it's still a small-town story, it's just a town that we all know pretty well. We all have our own party fantasy that we've either lived or wanted to live in New Orleans.
American Horror Story: Asylum
Here are four teases for next week's second season finale:
- Four major characters die in the season finale but the Angel of Death (Frances Conroy) only appears to one of them.
- Adam Levine's Leo and Jenna Dewan-Tatum's Teresa return and we learn how Leo lost his arm in the first episode.
- The whereabouts of the taped confession by Thredson (Zachary Quinto) to Lana will be revealed.
- New love interests are introduced for two of the characters and one couple even has a wedding.
Check out the link for a couple more. [EW]
Sarah Paulson discusses what to expect from Lana's journey in the finale:
It's really outrageous and amazing. I was barely in it last year, so it's very different. [Meeting her son is] a very emotional journey, and my character goes through a very tremendous amount of dark stuff. It's pretty spectacular what the writers did... I think people will be pleased."
[TV Line]
Creator Ryan Murphy expands on what's ahead for Lana in the finale:
no! No! After what Lana went through, if she wants to throw on some lip gloss and go on f-ing Dick Cavett? No, I don't think she's horrible at all. I think she hardened up and I think lost her way, which we will find in the last episode to chilling results.
Is this basically leading up to a battle between old Lana and 48-year old Bloody Face?
Yes. It's sort of a Barbara Walters vs. Ted Bundy extravaganza in that finale. That is part of the finale, which is very unexpected, and there's a lot of other things. I think the finale is my favorite episode we've ever done. It was directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon and written by Tim Minear. I think it's even better than "I Am Anne Frank Part II", which was previously my favorite. The whole thing is done almost as a documentary with Lana current day looking back on her life and doing a 60 Minutes-esque [interview]. That plays with like 10 different time periods. It was a very ambitious script and a very ambitious shoot and Alfonso knocked it out of the park as did Tim. The season finale is crazy good. Everyone who has seen it has cried and that includes me and network executives. It's very, very emotional and sad.Is there like a battle between him and Lana? Are we talking wrestling match?
I don't want to give too much away. It's much more emotional than Grand Guignol. It's something that John Landgraf and I talked about at length before I wrote it. This season was so dark which I loved but I felt it was important in the finale to give a sense of kindness and peace and resolve whenever possible along with some really scary things. So it's a very very satisfying finale. I think there's not a single stone unturned. All the questions are answered and more. The question I get asked the most is, "Who or what chopped off Adam Levine's arm?" We dedicate an entire cold opening to that.
There's plenty more at the link. [EW]
Being Human (UK)
Here's the official description for the fifth series premiere:
What do you get when you put a vampire, a werewolf and a ghost in a house-share in Barry? The return of Being Human! Ghost Alex is adjusting to life after death with werewolf Tom but vampire Hal is in hell. Not because he's chained up like an animal, but because he's desperate to get his marigolds on the messy house. But when Tom and Alex decide to set him free, Hal's wracked by uncertainty…can he control his bloodlust? Things get complicated with the return of Mr Rook, the shady figure whose government department protects the world from supernaturals. Having been fired from the café, Hal and Tom find new employment at the Barry Grand Hotel, home to poisonous pensioner Captain Hatch (Phil Davis). Unknown to our trio, his decrepit exterior hides an ancient evil that threatens not only their friendship but also the entire world.
Lost Girl
Syfy has released this trailer for what's ahead in season three.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Here are two promos for tomorrow morning's episode, "Eminence." [Coming Soon]
Additional reporting by Amanda Yesilbas and Charlie Jane Anders.