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i>APOCALYPTO IS NO PERSONAL APOCALYPSE FOR GIBSON Mel Gibson’s career avoided the fate of the Mayan civilization over the weekend as his Apocalypto debuted at the top of the box office with an estimated $14.2 million. The film not only overcame the devastating public outcry that was attendant upon Gibson’s drunk driving arrest and subsequent anti-Semitic rant, it also overcame mixed reviews from critics and predictions by box office analysts that a film with no recognizable stars and spoken in a foreign language was a certain failure....

SAG HARDLINERS IN PYRRHIC VICTORYThe possibility of another strike shutting down the entertainment industry in Hollywood appeared more remote Tuesday following a 30-hour battle among factions within the Screen Actors Guild over whether to retain the union’s hard-line chief negotiator and executive director Doug Allen. While a vote was effectively filibustered by members of the Membership First faction at a meeting of the union’s board of directors, East Coast members and the Unite for Strength moderates in the West Coast presented a show of strength that effectively left Allen powerless....

NBC THWARTS BOSTON REBELLION After failing to win support from a single other NBC affiliate, Boston’s WHDH has canceled its plans to replace Jay Leno’s variety show, due to air at 10:00 p.m. Monday through Friday beginning in the fall, with a nightly newscast. Station owner Ed Ansin said that he had reconsidered because: “Jay is from Andover where I went to school. I enjoy his humor. We hope the new show is a big success....

WGA FILES CHARGES AGAINST STUDIOS The Writers Guild of America on Thursday filed an unfair labor practices complaint with the National Labor Relations Board claiming the networks and studios violated federal law when they broke off negotiations last weekend. In a statement, the WGA demanded that the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers return to the bargaining table to hammer out a settlement. The AMPTP has indicated that it will not return to the table until the WGA drops its demands for jurisdiction over writers on reality and animated shows....

NBC’S THE WANTED: REJECTED AGAIN NBC’s to-catch-a-terrorist series The Wanted turned out to be every bit as unwanted in the 9:00 p.m. hour on Monday as it was at 10:00 p.m. Ordinarily a program airing in the 9:00 hour generally captures an audience substantially larger than any 10:00 p.m. program. But The Wantedpicked up identical ratings in both time periods. Last week, it counted 2.99 million viewers; this week it counted 3 million....

OLYMPICS MEDIA BATTLE CHINA SYNDROME Following numerous reports that China has imposed restrictions on foreign news media that will impede – if not prevent – their coverage of the Olympic Games, officials of the International Olympic Committee charged with coordinating TV, radio and press coverage have begun talks with members of China’s organizing committee seeking assurances that broadcasters will have unfettered access to sites in Beijing. The Associated Press on Monday quoted IOC member Kevan Gosper as saying that “some progress” had been made, “but I can’t say we are there yet....

After a successful first season, and a shift to The CW in Season 2, many fans expected that the Man of Steel himself, Superman, would finally show up this fall on Supergirl. Last month, the network announced that Tyler Hoechlin has been cast as the Man of Steel, and just yesterday we got our first look at the actor in full costume, alongside Melissa Benoist as Supergirl. Today, however, we have our first videos from the set showcasing Tyler Hoechlin in action as Superman....

Academy Award winning actress Susan Sarandon is looking a little different these days. She is starring in Enchanted and in the upcoming film Speed Racer, both of which will appeal to family audiences, which is a big change for this controversial woman. She is quick to point out that she has done voices in Rugrats in Paris: The Movie as well as James and the Giant Peach and The Simpsons....

Art, especially film, has always been a messenger and a means for communication for people to get messages or ideas across. The Ethnicities mural done for the 2016 Rio Games by Brazilian artist, Eduardo Kobra. The legendary graphic novel Maus by Art Spiegelman. The song Black & White by the King of Pop, Micheal Jackson. All vastly different pieces of art that speak on the world and the social issues that it goes through year after year....

Bazinga!, Soft Kitty, and an elevator that has been broken for 16 years amount to a series of running gags found on The Big Bang Theory. The popular modern sitcom ran from 2007 to 2019, spanning 279 episodes and featuring a cast of actors who played physicists, biologists, engineers…and Penny. Like other ensemble sitcoms, a typical episode of The Big Bang Theory featured multiple plot points with characters getting into shenanigans, whether together or apart....

From Star Wars to Game of Thrones, successful franchises lately seem to be focusing on releasing prequels for existing characters. In particular, the Star Wars franchise has spent its entirety exploring the events either leading up to or in the aftermath of Anakin Skywalker becoming Darth Vader. Similarly, the Harry Potter franchise used the Fantastic Beasts trilogy to explore Albus Dumbledore’s past — to fans’ disappointment, for that matter. That said, some redemption may come in the upcoming Game of Thrones prequel series, House of the Dragon, as the franchise relies on a beloved book franchise....

On Monday, June 6, production of The Walking Dead Season 2 officially kicked off and AMCtv.com began its’ series of on-set interviews with the show’s talented creative team by chatting with executive producer Robert Kirkman about his expectations for the second season. The Walking Dead Season 2 will debut in October on AMC. With Season 2 underway, what are you looking forward to? Robert Kirkman: Time spent in the Atlanta sun....

Earlier this week, we reported that actor Alec Baldwin had stepped away from the Warner Bros. musical Rock of Ages. It seems that report was premature, since the actor recently showed up in Miami for rehearsals, confirming he will star in the movie. It seems that Alec Baldwin recently discovered a medical condition and asked Warner Bros. if it was possible to be replaced. Since shooting is scheduled to begin on May 23, Warner executives knew it would be impossible to replace him on such short notice, and reportedly demanded that Alec Baldwin honor his agreement for Rock of Ages....

Fifty years after its television debut the iconic series Thunderbirds Are Go! is back in production featuring a talented cast led by Rosamund Pike (The World’s End, Gone Girl) as Lady Penelope and David Graham (Thunderbirds 1965) reprising his role as chauffeur and International Rescue agent Parker. Debuting on ITV in 2015 this re-invention of Gerry Anderson and Sylvia Anderson’s much-loved series will be produced using an innovative mix of CGI animation and live-action miniature sets....

Rose McGowan defended herself and slammed Charmed reboot actress Sarah Jeffrey at the same time. The CW went ahead with their reboot of the successful series in 2018. The show originally starred McGowan, Holly Marie Combs, Shannen Doherty, and Alyssa Milano. Combs and McGowan recently revealed their dissatisfaction with the reboot decision, which prompted actress Sarah Jeffrey, who stars in the new series, to respond. Jeffery said, “sad and quite frankly pathetic to see grown women behaving this way....

It’s official! ABC is bringing back it’s iconic sitcom Roseanne for 8 all-new episodes, to premiere in 2018. Following weeks of speculation and rumor, ABC announced its plans, releasing a retrospective trailer along with a first look at the family reunited on stage at the network’s Upfront presentation. You can see the trailer and photos below, with reunited cast members Roseanne Barr, John Goodman, Laurie Metcalf, Michael Fischman, and Lecy Goranson....

Ryan Seacrest will host the 59TH Primetime Emmy Awards airing live from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles Sunday, Sept. 16 (8:00-11:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed) on FOX. Mike Darnell, President of Alternative Entertainment, FOX, said: “Ryan Seacrest is known and loved by television audiences around the world. His work on American Idol is unparalleled in the industry. He’s a consummate host of major live broadcast events and a proven talent who always makes it look easy, which makes him the perfect choice for this year’s Emmy telecast....

Sex and the City star Sarah Jessica Parker is eyeing her return to the small screen with the new series Busted, the first foray into television from Sidney Kimmel Entertainment. The project is based on the non-fiction crime book Busted: A Tale of Corruption and Betrayal in the City of Brotherly Love by investigative reporters Wendy Ruderman and Barbara Laker. The book follows the journalists as they try to uncover one of the biggest police corruption scandals in Philadelphia history....

There are certain opportunities this job provides that most movie freaks would give their right nut for. I had such an opportunity this June when I was flown out to Austin, Texas, with a select group of online movie press, to visit the set of Friday the 13th. Oh yeah. I forgot to mention that it was June 13. Friday, June 13. It was also supposed to be the last day of principal photography, but they ended up needing just one more day....

We recently flew up to Vancouver, Canada, for a look at the making of Jennifer’s Body. The film reteams Juno director Jason Reitman with his Oscar winning screenwriter Diablo Cody. With Reitman producing this time out, Karyn Kusama has jumped behind the lens of their upcoming horror show. She is the master storyteller behind the acclaimed Girlfight as well as the much maligned Aeon Flux. The plot of Jennifer’s Body revolves around a demon-possessed cheerleader (Megan Fox) that takes to feeding off the boys in a small Minnesota farming town....