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[Intro] Nice US series. - Part 2

mfisbwg

mfisbwg

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The Witcher Creator Andrzej Sapkowski Announces a New Book in the Series

The Witcher creator Andrzej Sapkowski recently announced that he's writing a new book in the long-running fantasy series.

Sapkowski confirmed that he's currently penning the first installment in the Witcher canon since 2013's Season of Storms (2018 in the US) during a live-stream interview with Ukrainian fans hosted by Fantastic Talk(s). "I never say these things because with me you never know," he said. "Maybe I'll do something, maybe I won't. And so far, when I said that I would write something, and then I didn't write it, people complained as if I had deceived them and as if I had lied. That's why I don't like to talk about what I'm doing until I finish doing it. Because until I finish it, I don't think it exists. But since I always make exceptions for Ukrainians, I will do it this time too. Yes, I'm working on a new book about Witcher and quite diligently. It may take a year, but no longer."

Sapkowski declined to supply further details regarding the as-yet-untitled new Witcher novel, leaving fans to speculate whether protagonist Geralt of Rivia's 10th adventure will be a prequel or sequel outing. It's also unclear whether Netflix currently has plans to adapt Sapkowski's forthcoming tome as a season of its Witcher streaming series. This will presumably depend at least partly on how well showrunner Lauren S. Hissrich and her creative team think the new novel will translate to the small screen. Hissrich opened up about the challenge of reimagining Sapkowski's works in live-action in a previous interview, opining that the relatively action-lite narrative of the third Witcher volume, Blood of Elves, made adapting it especially difficult.

The Witcher EP Defends Changes to the Books​

Executive producer Tomek Baginski recently echoed Hissrich's sentiments, insisting that The Witcher's creative team agonized over making changes to the books. He also argued that without any alterations to the canon, the show wouldn't have landed with mainstream audiences. "When a series is made for a huge mass of viewers, with different experiences, from different parts of the world, and a large part of them are Americans, these simplifications not only make sense, they are necessary," Baginski said. "It's painful for us, and for me too, but the higher level of nuance and complexity will have a smaller range, it won't reach people."

Not all of The Witcher's most controversial changes are tied to Sapkowski's novels and short stories, though. The series also spawned intense backlash from fans after Netflix announced that Liam Hemsworth will replace Henry Cavill as Geralt in Season 4. Baginski weighed in on the transition from Cavill to Hemsworth in a recent interview, promising the franchise's devotees that the latter looks "awesome" in his Geralt makeup.

The untitled 10th Witcher book does not yet have a release date
 
LWZ

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mfisbwg said:
The Witcher Creator Andrzej Sapkowski Announces a New Book in the Series

The Witcher creator Andrzej Sapkowski recently announced that he's writing a new book in the long-running fantasy series.

Sapkowski confirmed that he's currently penning the first installment in the Witcher canon since 2013's Season of Storms (2018 in the US) during a live-stream interview with Ukrainian fans hosted by Fantastic Talk(s). "I never say these things because with me you never know," he said. "Maybe I'll do something, maybe I won't. And so far, when I said that I would write something, and then I didn't write it, people complained as if I had deceived them and as if I had lied. That's why I don't like to talk about what I'm doing until I finish doing it. Because until I finish it, I don't think it exists. But since I always make exceptions for Ukrainians, I will do it this time too. Yes, I'm working on a new book about Witcher and quite diligently. It may take a year, but no longer."

Sapkowski declined to supply further details regarding the as-yet-untitled new Witcher novel, leaving fans to speculate whether protagonist Geralt of Rivia's 10th adventure will be a prequel or sequel outing. It's also unclear whether Netflix currently has plans to adapt Sapkowski's forthcoming tome as a season of its Witcher streaming series. This will presumably depend at least partly on how well showrunner Lauren S. Hissrich and her creative team think the new novel will translate to the small screen. Hissrich opened up about the challenge of reimagining Sapkowski's works in live-action in a previous interview, opining that the relatively action-lite narrative of the third Witcher volume, Blood of Elves, made adapting it especially difficult.
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If the book ever materializes, I think it would be a prequel. The way the final book ended, it is hard to continue from there.
 
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The Franchise, Comedy Series About Making a Superhero Movie, Ordered at HBO

HBO has greenlit Sam Mendes and Armando Iannucci’s superhero movie-making comedy series The Franchise amid the ongoing industry strikes.

As per Variety, The Franchise is set within the chaotic world of superhero movie-making. Created by Mendes and Armando Iannucci, the series will feature stars such as Himesh Patel, Aya Cash, Jessica Hynes, Billy Magnussen, Lolly Adefope, Darren Goldstein, Isaac Powell, Richard E. Grant, and Daniel Brühl.

In a statement about the series, Amy Gravitt, executive vice president of HBO programming, and head of HBO and Max comedy series, expressed her excitement, saying, “With a deft touch only he can bring, Sam has brilliantly captured the romance and the reality of filmmaking today. Jon is superb at sending up worlds we think we already know. Together, with Armando, they have delivered a truly hilarious comedy ensemble. I can’t wait to see more.”

The Franchise follows the rough journey of the crew of an unloved franchise movie as they grapple for relevance in a cutthroat cinematic universe. According to the logline, the series "shines a light on the secret chaos inside the world of superhero moviemaking, to ask the question — how exactly does the cinematic sausage get made? Because every f***-up has an origin story."

Filming Won't Start Until After the Industry Strikes​

Jon Brown, known for his work on Succession and Avenue 5, penned the pilot and will serve as showrunner. Sam Mendes, celebrated for work as director on films like 1917 and Skyfall, will direct. The executive producers' roster boasts notable names including Veep creator Iannucci for Dundee Productions; Mendes, Pippa Harris, Nicolas Brown, and Julie Pastor for Neal Street Productions; and Brown and Jim Kleverweis. The pilot's completion came before the actors' strike that began on July 14, and production will not commence until after the resolution of the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes.

The ongoing strikes have impacted other dealings at HBO as well, with Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin announcing that his agreement with HBO has been suspended since June 1. Martin earlier stated, "It is hard to reach any agreement when the other side won't even come to the table." He further added that the strike aims to support "the entry-level writers, the story editors, the students hoping to break in, the actor who has four lines, the guy working his first staff job who dreams of creating his own show one day, as I did back in the 80s."

The Franchise's release date, however, remains uncertain amidst the strikes affecting the entertainment industry.
 
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Tokyo Vice Season 2 Update: HBO Show Finished Filming New Episodes Before Strike, Post-Production Has Begun

SUMMARY​

  • Tokyo Vice season 2 has finished filming and is now in post-production, despite the SAG-AFTRA strike causing delays. The cast hopes for a timely resolution to promote the season.
  • Season 2 will pick up where the first season left off, resolving cliffhangers like Samantha's debt to the Chihara-Kai clan and Sato's survival after being stabbed.
  • The upcoming season aims to continue exploring Tokyo's corrupt criminal underworld while making improvements to the protagonist's character development. It is expected to stream on Max sooner than anticipated.
After it was renewed over one year ago, Tokyo Vice season 2 receives an update from producer from Alex Boden. Executively produced by Michael Mann and Destin Daniel Cretton, the Max series follows an American journalist who moves to Tokyo to cover the police beat and discovers the dark and dangerous world of yakuza – Japanese organized crime. The Tokyo Vice cast includes Ansel Elgort as Jake Adelstein who is taken under the wing of the veteran detective Hiroto Katagiri (played by Ken Watanabe) in the vice squad.

Now, after Tokyo Vice season 2 was renewed shortly after its premiere in April 2022, the first update has arrived from Boden. Talking to Variety, the producer says that season 2 finished filming just before the SAG-AFTRA strike and is now in post-production. He also teased season 2's plot and shared his hopes for a timely resolution to the actors' strike so the cast can promote season 2. Read his full comments below:

We dive straight in at the beginning of Season 2, we’ve picked up exactly where we left off on Season 1. So those cliffhangers that we left you with at the end of Season 1 are about to be resolved very soon... We’re all hoping for a resolution to the strikes for everyone’s sake, for everyone who’s impacted by them. I’m hoping that we will be able to release when everyone’s able to promote and be part of the launch. Everyone involved is so proud of the work that they’ve done on this unique show — the writers, of course, but also the actors, we’ve got Ansel Elgort and Rachel Keller, who both spent a lot of time and energy learning Japanese and now speak really good Japanese. So it’d be a shame to have any kind of promotion without being able to celebrate that kind of commitment.
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What To Expect From Tokyo Vice Season 2​

As the producer says, Tokyo Vice season 2 will pick up right where the first season left and resolve the multiple cliffhangers that audiences were left with. This includes the question of how Samantha, a hostess at the Onyx Club, will pay back the Chihara-Kai clan for the loan which she intends to use to start her own club. Perhaps the most pressing question is whether Sato, an enforcer in the Chihara-kai and Samantha's handler, survived after being stabbed several times. The fate of Samantha's friend Polina is more clear, who was killed on a boat after resisting a client.

In addition to resolving these cliffhangers, Tokyo Vice season 2 will hopefully continue exploring the seedy underbelly of Tokyo's corrupt criminal underworld and provide another seductive slice of neo-noir. Tokyo Vice's protagonist, Jake Adelstein, was actually considered one of the least compelling parts of season 1, so hopefully season 2 can make improvements in this regard as he and Katagiri work together to avenge Polina's death. If one thing is clear, Tokyo Vice season 2 should stream on Max much sooner than previously expected.
 
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2023 Emmys Set 2024 Date Due To Ongoing Hollywood Strikes

SUMMARY​

  • The 2023 Emmy Awards have been postponed to 2024 due to ongoing strikes in Hollywood, with the ceremony now set to air on January 15.
  • The Creative Arts Emmys have also been rescheduled to early January, taking place on January 6 and 7, 2024.
  • The strikes have caused significant disruptions in the industry, leading to the shifting of important award ceremonies like the Emmys.
The 2023 Emmy Awards have been pushed back to 2024 amid the ongoing writers and actors strikes in Hollywood. It was previously reported that the Primetime Emmys were postponed due to the strikes, with no formal date set. The Emmys award ceremony was originally supposed to air on September 18, 2023.

Now, The Hollywood Reporter has revealed the 2023 Emmys will be airing on January 15, 2024. This means the awards ceremony will air on Matin Luther King Jr. Day that year. The Creative Arts Emmys have also been postponed to early January, and will take place on January 6 and 7, 2024.

How The Writers & Actors Strikes Are Impacting Hollywood​

One key reason why the Emmys were postponed to January is in hopes that actors will be able to attend the ceremony. Due to the ongoing strike, actors are not allowed to attend award ceremonies per SAG-AFTRA rules. If the Emmys were held without actors present, it could dampen the number of people who watch the ceremony, as actors who win awards wouldn't be in attendance to accept them.

The writers and actors strikes have also caused some studios to consider pushing back the release dates of upcoming movies. Disney recently delayed Poor Things from September to December, while Warner Bros. is considering a delay of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom to 2024. This is because striking writers and actors aren’t allowed to promote films they worked on during the strike, which could make some movie promotional campaigns weaker.

As of writing, it’s unclear when the writers and actors strikes will end, nor how else they’ll impact Hollywood in the coming weeks. While the Emmys have been pushed to January 2024 in hopes the strike is over by then, the lack of progress following 100 days of the writers strike means the strikes could last much longer than expected. It remains to be seen if the Emmy Awards will have to alter their plans for when to air yet again.
 
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“Generation Z” – ‘Kill List’ Director Ben Wheatley Teases Upcoming Brexit-Themed Zombie Series

Kill List, Free Fire, and High-Rise director Ben Wheatley announced plans for the Brexit zombie drama “Generation Z” for UK’s Channel 4 back in 2019. Our friends at Fangoria report that Wheatley teased upcoming plans for “Generation Z” at a recent screening of his latest feature, Meg 2: The Trench.

“Generation Z” was initially set to go into production in 2020, but we all know how that year went. The series will be Executive Produced by Wheatley, Mark Pybus, and George Faber. It is written and directed by Ben Wheatley.

“What I’m doing next is six hours for Channel 4, [a] TV series, a horror-based thing […] In the same way I did In The Earth after Rebecca, I’ll do something that’s back to [the] Kill List-y, Sightseers-y world,” Wheatley told the attendees at the Empire VIP screening of Meg 2: The Trench.

The plot for the six-part series: “In a small British town, tensions come to a head when a mysterious military convoy crashes outside the Sunnywise Retirement Home. The vehicles were carrying a toxic substance, which, as a result of the crash, leaks into the local environment and infects the residents of the retirement community. The symptoms of this infection quickly manifest – an overwhelming appetite for raw flesh. They’re old, they’re angry and they’re on the rampage. As the military scrambles to control the outbreak and keep everything out of the media spotlight, a group of regular teenagers find themselves in the thick of the battle against these flesh-eating baby boomers.”

In other words, expect “rapacious” baby boomers and “disaffected” teenagers at each other’s throats.

The series is expected to feature “pitch-black humour and biting satire to tell how Brexit has divided the country, and in this case, led to brain munching.”

For those worried that Wheatley was leaving behind his grittier, indie horror roots behind with Meg 2: The Trench, fret not. Fangoria also quoted the Wheatley’s assurance, “once I’ve got that [horror series] out of my system, then I’ll be looking to do another larger film.”

It’ll be interesting to see what Wheatley does with the zombie subgenre, and if “Generation Z” will evolve in any way since its 2019 announcement. Stay tuned for additional details on the project as they arrive.
 
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August 27, 2023 (BBC One )
November 1, 2023 (United States)

 
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