Posts

‘The Exorcist’ and ‘Lucifer’ Television Series Canceled by Fox

/0 Comments/in , /by

Today is a dark day for fans of Fox’s supernatural television offerings. The network just announced that The Exorcist has been cancelled after two seasons, and Lucifer has been cancelled after three seasons.

The first season of Jeremy Slater’s The Exorcist was praised heavily by critics and its small-but-active fan base, which led to a Season Two renewal. The second season changed settings and scenarios but maintained the character-driven formula that attracted fans to it in the first place. Unfortunately, the changes weren’t enough to improve viewership. According to Variety, the series “was Fox’s lowest-rated program this year, averaging 1.32 million total viewers and a 0.41 rating in the 18-49 demo.” read more

Fox Cancels M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘Wayward Pines’ After 2 Seasons

/0 Comments/in , /by

Now there’s a twist you didn’t see coming! Executive producer M. Night Shyamalan’s Wayward Pines will not be returning for Season Three. TV Line reports that Fox has pulled the plug on the supernatural drama after mulling the decision over since this past summer.

Fans of the show haven’t particularly been holding their collective breath for more episodes, as Season Two’s finale last aired in late July of 2016- before the January 2017 release of Split– back when Shyamalan was known as a former director of satisfactory thrillers with twist endings and big budget disasters/education reform extraordinaire. Even if Fox wished to continue with the series, Shyamalan may have found it difficult to split his time between the television series and his successful new work on the big screen. Split was a box office surprise and it earned critical praise like Shyamalan hadn’t seen since 2002, and it’s follow-up, Glass, is currently in post-production. read more

USC School of Cinematic Arts to Host 50 Years of ‘Planet of the Apes’ Exhibit

/0 Comments/in , /by

On March 27th, 2018, Twentieth Century Fox’s venerable Planet of the Apes series will officially turn 50 years old. To celebrate this momentous occasion, the studio will be participating in a variety of anniversary events. One of those events will come in the form of an official exhibit and film retrospective at University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts in Los Angeles.

The official website for Planet of the Apes was updated today with the announcement that USC exhibit will feature, “a vast collection of props, costumes, photos, posters and artwork.” The showcase will also consist of screenings and panels, including a screening of the 1968 film and a panel discussion featuring Linda Harrison, Matt Reeves, Rupert Wyatt, Rick Jaffa, and Amanda Silver on the legacy of the franchise. “50 Years of Planet of the Apes” will run from February 9th to May 13th, 2018. The exhibit will be open to the public and admission will be free. read more

Fox to Reboot ‘Clue’ Franchise with Ryan Reynolds

/0 Comments/in , /by

Nearly 35 years after its previous cinematic adaptation, the Clue board game will return to the silver screen! Twentieth Century Fox plans to reboot the franchise in the form of a new movie starring Ryan Reynolds.

Deadline reports that the film is the product of a three-year first look deal that the studio just reached with Reynolds and his Maximum Effort production company. The live-action movie and the umbrella deal it falls under follows Fox’s and Reynolds’ lucrative collaboration on the acclaimed Deadpool franchise. read more

‘New Mutants’ Release Date Moved to 2019

/0 Comments/in , , /by

If you were looking forward to seeing Marvel’s New Mutants this April, I hope you can open a portal to the future like the young magic-user Illyanna Rasputin.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Josh Boone’s film is moving from April 13, 2018 to Feb. 22, 2019.    Supposedly, “Insiders say one reason for the change is for the studio to avoid having an overlap with X-Men movies in certain overseas marketplaces, where Mutants and Deadpool 2 would have been in theaters at the same time.” read more

Gillian Anderson Confirms Departure from ‘The X-Files’ After Season 11

/0 Comments/in , /by

If the truth is still out there after Season Eleven of Fox’s The X-Files airs, Gillian Anderson won’t be around to locate it! The actress- who has played Dana Scully since the show premiered in 1993- recently told TV Insider that the upcoming event series will be her last.

Anderson first suggested that she may exit the popular series during a Q&A at New York Comic Con this October. Her newest statement to TV Insider is even more definitive:

“I’ve said from the beginning this is it for me. I was a bit surprised by people’s [shocked] reaction to my announcement…because my understanding was that this was a single season.” read more

Fox Debuts Premiere Date and Poster Art for ‘The X-Files’ Season 11

/0 Comments/in , /by

Fans of Fox’s long-running series The X-Files are in for a treat: they’ll be watching new episodes in just a few short weeks! The network just announced that “Part two of The X-Files event series” (Season 11!) will premiere on Wednesday, January 3rd, 2018.

The new 10-episode run promises to answer some of the big questions that the first “event series” began to confront in early 2016. Chris Carter will continue to executive produce the series, and David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson will return as their iconic characters, Fox Mulder and Dana Scully. read more

Hannah Kasulka’s Casey Rance to Return in ‘The Exorcist’ Season 2

/0 Comments/in , /by

Although fans of Fox’s The Exorcist were thrilled to learn that the series had been renewed for Season Two so late in the game, many were disappointed that the show would no longer feature the fan-favorite characters of the Rance Family of Season One. Geena Davis’ Angela, Hannah Kasulka’s Casey, Brianne Howey’s Kat, and Alan Ruck’s Henry had a lot to do with the excellent character-driven storytelling of the first season, and Season Two simply hasn’t been the same without them. Fortunately, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel! read more

‘The Exorcist’ Season 2 Episode 5 Review

/0 Comments/in , /by

Five episodes into the season, Fox’s The Exorcist has fully returned to form and is now firing on all cylinders! After a shaky start, the series now seems to remember what made Season One so incredible in the first place: character development and slower, more nuanced scares.

The kids of Andrew Kim’s (John Cho) foster home finally feel three dimensional because they’re given some lengthy scenes to be all in the same place to take a breather. The group goes on a camping trip as the result of a thinly-veiled effort on Kim’s part to alleviate the problem with Grace (Amélie Eve), which Kim believes is a stress-induced psychological manifestation. The viewers know that the problem goes much deeper than psychology when Grace begins stalking Father Tomas (Alfonso Herrera) around the abandoned Kim home. Grace’s supernatural presence is accompanied by stereotypical bumps in the night and swinging chandeliers, but the show really kicks it into high gear with more original scares like the final scene where Grace appears behind the damaged painting and turns into something altogether different. Bonus points should be awarded to the filmmakers for playing the scene without any startling musical cues… the imagery alone is enough for the scene to be altogether unsettling! read more

‘The Exorcist’ Season 2 Episodes 3 and 4 Review

/0 Comments/in , /by

All season long, I’ve been praying for a miracle that Fox’s The Exorcist would return to form after a disappointing start that didn’t fit thematically with its stellar first season. I’m pleased to report that, while Episode Three takes one step forward and two steps back, Episode Four offers some very promising developments!

Season One of The Exorcist was a slow cooker which focused on character development and an escalating buildup of subtle tension and horror. Season Two took on a different tone by sending Father Tomas (Alfonso Herrera) and Father Marcus (Ben Daniels) on a road trip where they encounter a ghoul of the week. While the real heart of the season lies in Andrew Kim’s (John Cho) foster home, we rarely see much of its characters because the first three hours of the season focused so heavily on over the top scare gags. While there are a few bumps in the road, the show finally takes a much needed breather by Episode Four, and it begins to take on the shape of Season One. read more