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Natalie Dormer has been cast in upcoming drama series “Penny Dreadful: City of Angels” in a lead role, Variety has learned.

Described as a spiritual descendant of the original “Penny Dreadful,” the new series opens in 1938 Los Angeles. When a grisly murder shocks the city, Detective Tiago Vega is embroiled in a story that reflects the history of Los Angeles: from the building of the city’s first freeways and its deep traditions of Mexican-American folklore, to the dangerous espionage actions of the Third Reich and the rise of radio evangelism.

Dormer will play Magda, a supernatural demon who can

Jussie Smollett has been removed from the final Season 5 episodes of the Fox series “Empire” in the wake of his arrest Thursday morning.

“The events of the past few weeks have been incredibly emotional for all of us” said series executives Lee Daniels, Danny Strong, Brett Mahoney, Brian Grazer, Sanaa Hamri, Francie Calfo and Dennis Hammer. “Jussie has been an important member of our ‘Empire’ family for the past five years and we care about him deeply. While these allegations are very disturbing, we are placing our trust in the legal system as the process plays out. We are also aware of the effects of this process on the cast and crew members who work on our show and to avoid further disruption on set, we have decided to remove the role of ‘Jamal’ from the final two episodes of the season.”

Fox had previously issued multiple statements in support of Smollett,

The winter box office season is nearing an end, serving as good news for what has been a rather rough start to 2019. Fortunately, before all eyes turn to March and Captain Marvel and Us, it would appear one of the final new wide releases of the season is looking to close things out on a high note as Universal debuts How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, their first DreamWorks Animation release since acquiring the animation studio in 2016 for $3.8 billion. The film is already off to a strong start internationally since releasing overseas seven weeks ago and is now looking to keep the momentum domestically. Also going wide this weekend is MGM's Fighting with My Family, after a limited debut last weekend, and Roadside is debuting Run the Race in moderate release. At a reported $129 million, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World carries the lightest budget

Brooke Shields is set to star in the CW’s drama pilot Glamorous. Eva Longoria has been tapped to direct and executive produce in her pilot directing debut. Jade Payton also has been cast in hourlong drama pilot from Damon Wayans Jr. and his Two Shakes Entertainment, writer Jordon Nardino and CBS TV Studios.

Written by Nardino, Glamorous centers on a gender non-conforming recent high school graduate who lands the gig of a lifetime interning at a cosmetics company whose products he panned on YouTube.

Shields, a former model herself, will play Madolyn, a former supermodel who is no stranger to the covers of Vogue or the runways of Milan, Madolyn is the founder and CEO of one of the industry’s most respected and sophisticated cosmetics company. A canny businesswoman and entrepreneur, Madolyn is at the top of the game and will stop at nothing to stay there, including

Michael B. Jordan is in talks to star in Sony’s “Journal for Jordan,” a drama that will be directed by Denzel Washington.

The movie, penned by “Mudbound” screenwriter Virgin Williams, is based on the true story of Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Dana Canedy’s love affair with First Sergeant Charles Monroe King. King kept a journal full of poignant life lessons for their newborn son, Jordan, while deployed overseas. He was killed in Iraq in 2006 when Jordan was just seven months old, but his spirit lives on in his messages of love to Dana and Jordan.

Jordan will also produce through his Outlier Society banner, while Washington and Escape Artist’s Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal, and Steve Tisch will also produce.

Jordan garnered critical acclaim for portraying the tormented villain Erik Killmonger in “Black Panther,” the first Marvel movie to score a best picture Oscar nomination. He most recently starred in “Creed II,

Vinny Vella, known for his roles in the 1995 film Casino and HBO’s The Sopranos, among others, has died. His family shared the news on Vella’s Facebook page. Vella died Wednesday from liver cancer. He was 72.

“We are saddened to report that Vinny Vella has passed and I’m sure that no one more saddened than himself,” the Facebook statement read. “Vinny loved life from his family to his friends and fans he was easily one of the funniest, endearing actors to have ever graced the screen. Vinny also had integrity and pride rarely seen.”

The statement continued, “Arguably the fastest on the draw, king of the comebacks. His verbal jousting was legendary but many know Vinny for his favorite saying – ‘Who’s better than you?’ Well Vinny, I think we all can agree on the answer to that, it was you, it always was you! We miss you my boy!

Peter Tork, bassist, keyboardist and singer for iconic late ’60s pop-rock band The Monkees died on Thursday. He was 77.

Tork’s death was confirmed by his sister, Anne Thorkelson, to The Washington Post. Thorkelson did not share the cause of death or where Tork died. His Twitter and Facebook accounts announced his death shortly after.

“Please know that Peter was extremely appreciative of you, his Torkees, and one of his deepest joys was to be out in front of you, playing his music, and seeing you enjoy what he had to share,” a message attributed to the Peter Tork Facebook Team said.

Also Read: WWE Hall of Famer Pedro Morales Dies

It is with beyond-heavy and broken hearts that we share the devastating news that our friend, mentor, teacher, and amazing soul, Peter Tork, has passed from this world. As we have mentioned in the past, the Ptfb team is…

The long road to adapt Halo to the screen (be it big or small) is almost at an end. Showtime is turning the video game franchise into a new TV series, and they’ve found their director – Otto Bathurst, the filmmaker behind the recent Robin Hood reboot. Bathurst will direct multiple episodes of the live-action series, and […]

The post ‘Halo’ TV Series Will Be Directed by ‘Robin Hood’ Filmmaker Otto Bathurst appeared first on /Film.

“Young Sheldon” has scored an early renewal for a third and fourth season at CBS, the broadcaster announced Friday.

The single-camera comedy series serves as a prequel to the hit multi-cam sitcom “The Big Bang Theory.” It follows 10-year old Sheldon Cooper (Iain Armitage) as he struggles to fit in with his family and classmates in East Texas.

In addition to Armitage, the series stars Zoe Perry, Lance Barber, Montana Jordan, Raegan Revord, and Annie Potts. Jim Parsons, who originated the role of Sheldon on “Big Bang Theory,” serves as the narrator. Chuck Lorre, Steven Molaro, Parsons, and Todd Spiewak

As “Big Bang Theory” sets its swan song, Sheldon Cooper fans can take solace that “Young Sheldon” will be on the CBS’ airwaves for at least two more years.

The network handed out a two-year renewal to the “Big Bang” spinoff, which stars Iain Armitage as a younger version of Jim Parsons’ Sheldon Cooper. The series was picked up through the 2020-21 season.

“Thanks to Chuck Lorre’s and Steve Molaro’s outstanding creative leadership, ‘Young Sheldon’ has been a powerful performer for the Network with an audience that towers over most of the television landscape,” Kelly Kahl, president, CBS Entertainment said.

Also Read: Ratings: 'Grey's Anatomy' Recovers From Series Low - But Still Loses to 'Big Bang' Universe

“Young Sheldton” also features Zoe Perry, Lance Barber, Montana Jordan, Raegan Revord and Annie Potts. Chuck Lorre, Steven Molaro, Jim Parsons and Todd Spiewak are the executive producers for Chuck Lorre Productions,

Norah Jones’ last album was 2016’s Day Breaks, but she hasn’t stopped putting out music since. Over the last year she has released seven songs with collaborators including Jeff Tweedy and Thomas Bartlett, tracks ranging jazz-soul to psychedelia. “I felt inspired to record and try different things,” Jones says of the process, adding she wanted sessions to be “quick and fun and easy and low-pressure. It’s a great way to collaborate with other people. Just a day or three in the studio and that’s it.”

Those songs

The past five years have given Mpac’s Hollywood Bureau a renewed sense of hope. We’ve seen an unprecedented increase in Muslim characters and storylines on screen, even from major studios. When Mahershala Ali won the Oscar for supporting actor in 2017 for “Moonlight,” he became the first Muslim to ever do so. On Feb. 24, there’s a chance he will take home his second Oscar for “Green Book.” 2017 also marked a milestone when two Muslim presenters were featured in the broadcast: Dave Chappelle and Kumail Nanjiani. Nanjiani returned this year to co-present the Oscar nominations with Tracee Ellis Ross.

As someone who has long watched the Oscars, the sight of three stars who shared my faith onstage on Hollywood’s biggest night was something that I had always hoped for and knew in my heart was possible. It is a moment that I carry with me as I think about the road ahead.

Former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr hosts a karaoke party for the outcasts and misfits in the video for his new song “Armatopia.” The Kris Rimmer-directed clip seems to be set in the late Eighties or early Nineties, and it tracks a group of outsiders who all seem to live in the same massive housing block. Eventually, these individuals come together in a dingy rec center, where Marr leads a dance party as he sings his surging, synth-driven cut.

In a statement, Marr said “Armatopia” refers to “the odd state

Ryan Murphy has announced that his third Netflix series will be titled “Hollywood.”

Murphy described the show as “A love letter to the Golden Age of Tinseltown” in a post on Instagram. The project has received a straight-to-series order at the streamer. Murphy co-created the series with Ian Brennan. The exact nature of the plot is being kept under wraps.

Murphy previously set up the shows “Ratched” starring Sarah Paulson and “The Politician” starring Ben Platt at Netflix, though those two shows came about under Murphy’s deal at 20th Century Fox Television. “Hollywood” marks his first original series under his overall deal at Netflix.

Ryan Murphy has set “Hollywood,” “a love letter to the Golden Age of Tinseltown,” as his next Netflix series — and the first original to be ordered since the prolific producer signed his reported $300 million deal with the streamer last February.

“‘Hollywood’ — my new Netflix show co-created with Ian Brennan — begins principal photography this summer,” Murphy captioned an Instagram post of the Hollywood sign Friday. “A love letter to the Golden Age of Tinseltown, this straight-to-series production will be my third show for Netflix and I couldn’t be more excited or proud about the work we are doing together. More to come…”

Netflix did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for further details on the series, however their official See What’s Next Twitter account tweeted this, not long after Murphy’s Instagram post went up:

Ryan Murphy is bringing “Hollywood” to Netflix. Co-created with Ian Brennan, Murphy describes

“Game of Thrones” alum Natalie Dormer has joined the cast of “Penny Dreadful: City of Angels,” Showtime announced Friday.

Dormer will play Magda, a supernatural demon who can take the appearance of anyone she chooses and manifests in a number of guises throughout the story. Charismatic, clever and chameleonic, Magda is a dangerous enemy and an invaluable ally.

John Logan, the creator, writer and executive producer of the main series “Penny Dreadful,” will return for the “spiritual descendant” “City of Angels,” and Michael Aguilar (“Kidding”) will also serve as executive producer. Production on the drama series is expected to begin later this year.

Also Read: 'Game of Thrones' Star Natalie Dormer Signs First-Look Deal With Fremantle

While “Penny Dreadful” is set in Victorian-era London, “City of Angels” opens in 1938 Los Angeles, a time and place deeply infused with social and political tension. When a grisly murder shocks the city,

When Judge Amy Berman Jackson imposed a gag order on Roger Stone, she warned Trump’s irrepressible former adviser that she would not tolerate another word out of him about his upcoming trial, on charges of lying to Congress and attempting to suborn perjury from a fellow witness.

Stone appeared in court Thursday to face the music for posting an Instagram photo of the judge with crosshairs near her head — the selection of which he blamed on one of his “volunteer” social media helpers, whose name(s) he couldn’t immediately recall.

But be careful what you wish for, all you who have longed for a hostless Oscars after Kevin Hart dropped out in December — and the Academy failed to line up a replacement.

After all, the last Academy Awards show that didn’t have a host, the 61st Oscars in 1989, is widely considered the worst Oscars ever. No, the lack of a host didn’t really have much to do with the show’s multitudinous failures. And no, this year’s producer, Donna Gigliotti, and co-producer and director, Glenn Weiss, aren’t likely to make the kind of mistakes that Allan Carr made back then.

But looking at that show, it’s hard not to think that a steady hand at the helm would have helped.

Also Read: Who Should Host the Oscars Now? Hollywood Offers Suggestions

If you remember that 1989 show, you probably don’t remember it as the Oscars

Madrid — In 1925, Luis Buñuel, son of one of the richest men in the Spanish region of Aragón, went to Paris to make films with Salvador Dalí. The results were two surrealist shorts, 1929’s “Un Chien Andalou,” his passport to membership of André Breton’s surrealists, and “L’Age d’Or,” banned by the Paris police.

The movies are galvanized by the joie de vivre of the young directors, but as much Dalí in their daring as Buñuel.

By 1933, however, when Buñuel returned from shooting he 29-minute documentary “Las Hurdes” (aka “Land Without Bread”) filmed in a region of Western Spain, one of the world’s greatest film directors has found his own creative voice, an explosive mix of surrealism and social critique.

Salvador Simó’s “Buñuel in the Labyrinth of the Turtles,” sold by Latido, lead-produced by Manuel Cristobal and acquired for North America by New York’s Gkids, the

The standard black tuxedo men donned to awards shows for decades is quickly becoming an outmoded uniform. From bold colors, to striking textures, to novel silhouettes, men’s awards show looks are now just as fashion-forward as women’s.

“It was a slow evolution and then a really quick evolution,” says Ilaria Urbinati, who styles Rami Malek, Bradley Cooper and John Krasinski. “Ten years ago when ‘Mad Men’ first came out, that had a big influence. And then I did that line of suiting with Albert Hammond Jr. that was all color, which nobody was doing. And then wardrobe designer Dayna Pink bought the suits to put on Ryan Gosling for ‘Crazy, Stupid, Love.’ That movie was such a revolution for menswear, because it was all about giving Steve Carell a makeover and how, if you dress for the life you want, then you’ll get the life.”

This awards season,