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Wheel of Fortune viewers believe the show’s judges made a wrong call that resulted in a contestant’s loss.

During the February 3 episode of Wheel of Fortune, a contestant named Arzice Salonga from Medina, Ohio, mispronounced a puzzle solution, costing her a win.

The former Philadelphia Eagles cheerleader tried her hand at a toss-up puzzle in the “Event” category.

When left with a puzzle that read, “A F _ I _ _ N / _ A _ A _ _,” Arzice answered correctly, delivering the answer, “African Safari.”

However, her pronunciation was not the generally accepted one, and judges ruled her response incorrect since she pronounced it like “sa-ferry.”

Arzice’s opponent, Brian Nelson, buzzed in, providing the correct pronunciation and earning himself the win.

lady just said “sa-fairy” on wheel of fortune… the puzzle was african safari pic.twitter.com/T6212NWAPR

— Zee. (@forbestiel) February 4, 2025

After the episode, Wheel watchers took to social media, where they sounded off.

Monday’s (February 3) episode of Wheel of Fortune had its fair share of drama, including a controversial mispronunciation ruling and a Bonus Round puzzle that some fans called “impossible.” The episode saw a three-way showdown between Brian Nelson, a high school football and basketball official from Longview, Texas, Arzice Salonga, a former Philadelphia Eagles cheerleader from Medina, Ohio, and Krystal Adams from Kenosha, Wisconsin, who told host Ryan Seacrest she has a dog named Buttercup who barks along to the show’s puzzles. Adams proved to be a force from early on in the episode, solving the $2,000 Tossup and the Round 1 puzzles, giving her an early lead with $5,900. Meanwhile, Nelson trailed closely behind with $3,700, and Salonga had yet to get on the board. Salonga fought back in the Express Round, taking the lead with $13,698. However, Adams regained the lead in the Triple Tossup and Speed Up rounds, giving her an...

Wheel of Fortune viewers came to the defense of one contestant on Monday’s (February 3) game after a brutal ruling over a mispronunciation cost her an early lead and left her shocked. The contestant in question was Arzice Salonga, a single mom from Medina, Ohio, who is currently a law student. She was also a former Philadelphia Eagles cheerleader for two seasons, including during the team’s first Super Bowl win. Salonga had a chance to get on the board right away when she buzzed in to solve the opening $1,000 Tossup puzzle. She attempted to answer a two-word “Event” puzzle, which read: “A F _ I _ _ N / _ A _ A _ _.” She answered “African Safari” but was ruled incorrect for her pronunciation of Safari, which she said as “Sa-fair-ee.” This allowed fellow contestant Brian Nelson from Longview, Texas, to buzz in with the correct pronunciation and bag himself the $1,000 prize. “Yes, safari is...

30 Days of Night, the vampire horror film starring Josh Hartnett in one of his best films and underrated performances, is now on a new streaming home this February, giving fans yet another opportunity to see the wildly polarizing film of 2007. As of February 1, Josh Hartnett's fans will be able to stream 30 Days of Night on Peacock with a subscription. The film returns to streaming after being exclusively available for digital purchase or rent for some time. It's still undetermined how long it will stay on Peacock, but films that are relatively obscure don't spend much time on streaming services. You better hurry up.

Directed by David Slade, of Black Mirror and Hannibal fame, 30 Days of Night stars Hartnett alongside Danny Huston, Melissa George, Ben Foster and Mark Boone Junior, among others. The vampire film is based on the comic book series of the same name by Steve Niles and Ben Templesmith.

Revenge movies have been a popular feature in mainstream Hollywood for decades, and it’s a genre that has often never shied away from controversy. There have been countless horror movies where a seemingly normal guy, or a full blown creep, lures an unsuspecting female victim back to his place. The genre has seen movies emerge from both the small underground scene to big budget Hollywood pictures. However, some of the most intriguing and memorable revenge films have been the entries that subvert the usual man-tortures-woman traditions of the slasher genre. Over the decades we’ve seen movies such as 1995’s Boy Meets Girl, Lady Vengeance from 2005, 1999’s superb Audition, with its wince inducing torture scenes wonderfully subverting what at first starts as a gentle romance, in a way. Of course, we also have the likes of Kill Bill 1 & 2 and even cult classics like Russ Meyer’s 1965 exploitation flick Faster Pussycat Kill Kill...

Since the 1970s, comic books have inspired some of the most successful Hollywood movies of all time, a trend that began with Christopher Reeve's portrayal of Superman. Although not the first film to adapt a comic to the big screen, Richard Donner's Man of Steel film signified a shift away from low-budget serials to box office hits. In the years since, movies like Tim Burton's Batman, Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy, and the smashing success of the MCU have taken the world by storm.

While many associate the superhero genre with comic book adaptations, they aren't exclusively centered around caped heroes. Everything from gangster epics to gritty horror movies has come from comics, but it's not uncommon for some of these to be underrated by audiences. In a golden age of comic book adaptations, it's worth looking at the stories that did their source material justice.

When it comes to vampires, mainstream audiences are familiar with Dracula, Twilight, and maybe even TV series like True Blood and The Vampire Diaries. Horror fans can dig a little deeper with cult favorites like Let the Right One In and Fright Night. However, in order to find the truly underrated vampire movies, one needs to sink their fangs a little bit deeper.

The remake of Salem's Lot was recently released on Max, and Abigail was the surprise horror hit of the year. With all that in mind, it's a good time to journey into the darkness and find noteworthy hidden gems when it comes to vampire horror. Some of these films are campy and fun, while others are outright terrifying. Each is worth a watch, especially around Halloween.

30 Days of Night Is Cold, Visceral, and Terrifying Director: David Slade

Metascore: 53 IMDb: 6.6/10 Rotten Tomatoes: 51%

Alaska is the cold,...

M. Night Shyamalan has delivered us some of the most iconic plot twists in the history of cinema, and while many of his movies are hit-or-miss, this overlooked psychological horror is an all-round fun watch. In 2010, Shyamalan produced and created the story for Devil, a film that is drenched in his twisty style and carries us away in its dizzying cinematography. It is the perfect watch for a quick shot of adrenaline that works because of its otherworldly claustrophobia and 80-minute runtime. John Erick Dowdle's film, based on Brian Nelson's script from Shyamalan's story, marries a whodunit plot with a supernatural atmosphere that keeps us guessing where it is going at every unpredictable beat. Simplistic yet disorienting, Devil may get lost within the folds of Shyamalans extended filmography but is patiently waiting for our attention, promising us a truckload of high-energy tension and thrills.

Netflix is doing its best Angel Studios impression with “Testament: The Story of Moses,” a three-part documentary series premiering on March 27, 2024. Angel, the studio behind surprise box-office hit “Sound of Freedom,” is not actually involved; “Testament” is a Karga Seven Pictures production.

Unlike “Sound of Freedom,” “The Story of Moses” will not have a theatrical release. Even if it were cut as a feature-length film instead of a docuseries, that’s just not how Netflix rolls — it wants longterm subscribers, not a one-time box office boon.

“Testament: The Story of Moses” explores the life of Moses and his rise from outcast and murderer to prophet and liberator of the Hebrews, according to the logline. Netflix released the trailer on Tuesday, March 5.

The docuseries’ presentation is part scripted drama, part documentary-style interviews. There are the locusts and the sea-parting and all the greatest hits from the Bible, the Qur’an, and the Torah.

I don’t know of many Christmas horror adaptations. Sure, I could probably look at the history of Krampus and piece something together but other than that I’m hard pressed so let me know in the comments what I could cover next holiday season. Winter in general has all sorts of movies and stories that they are based off of. The very first episode of this show was all about The Thing and its source material Who Goes There and now in the middle of winter, at least in Colorado, I think it’s time to look at one of the better vampire properties of the 2000s and a great limited series comic. 30 Days of Night was originally pitched as a movie but when it was turned down, the comic came out and put the author’s name on the map. As is the nature of Hollywood, it...

Exclusive: Actor Luis Guzman has signed on to star in the feature Miles Away, which Grandave International is launching as part of its slate at the American Film Market.

Written and directed by Jackie Quinones, synopsis reads: A dreamer making ends meet as a rideshare driver is on a collision course with reality as she struggles with the hardships of poverty, bad decisions, and a mentally ill sister.

Alongside Miles Away, Grandave is launching thrillers No Way Out and Shut Eye. No Way Out tells the story of the character Matteo, played by Jeff Adler (Beautiful Boy.) He is forced to take on a double murder case after the suspect threatens his family. Attorney Brian Nelson begins to unravel the facts and learns the case isn’t what it seems. Acquired at the Miff 37 South Market, Shut Eye is a 90-minute drama where to cure their insomnia, a social outcast...

Kvea and Kcet each won eight trophies at the 75th Los Angeles Area Emmy Awards to lead the field just like they did at the nomination stage. Telemundo’s Kvea swept all three regularly scheduled newscast categories, morning, daytime and evening. CBS/KCAL9 followed with 4 wins, with ABC7 and Spectrum SportsNet LA tied at 3 and Kmex, Spectrum News 1 and Spectrum SportsNet at 2. The honored telecasts included two tributes to local icon Vin Scully who died last summer.

The ceremony was held Saturday night at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel whose workers have been on strike for a new contract. Videos of attendees crossing the picket line to enter the hotel were tweeted by Unite Here Local 11, which called out the TV Academy for holding the event at the struck location. In its criticism of the Academy over the choice of location, the hotel workers union was joined by striking Hollywood...

Creepy, homicidal children have long been a staple of the horror genre. This week brings the release of brand new movie Children of the Corn, the eleventh entry in the long-running franchise. It comes on the heels of Homebound arriving on Screambox and the release of Roxanne Benjamin’s new movie There’s Something Wrong with the Children on VOD outlets.

Kids are always terrifying. This week’s streaming picks highlight just how unsettling they can be; there’s nothing sweet about these little homicidal maniacs.

As always, here’s where you can watch them this week.

For more Stay Home, Watch Horror picks, click here.

The Good Son – Starz

Anyone familiar with Home Alone’s Kevin McCallister and his ruthless handling of home intruders likely won’t find it difficult to buy Macaulay Culkin’s villainous turn in this psychological horror movie. But Culkin turns up the terror here in a compelling way.

Christopher B. Stokes, the directors of such films as House Party 4, You Got Served, Somebody Help Me, Somebody Help Me 2, The Stepmother, and The Stepmother 2, is about to send four more movies out into the world over the course of just three months – and it’s all thanks to the Tubi streaming service. Continuing to get into original programming (previous Tubi originals include the Terror Train remake and its sequel), Tubi has teamed up with Footage Films to bring four “Black cinema thrillers” to their service. Stokes has directed all four of the movies and wrote the scripts for each one with Marques Houston.

First up is The Assistant, which is set to reach Tubi on January 20th. Variety reports that The Assistant follows doctor Raven Fields (Erica Mena) who finds herself drowning in work and looks to hire an assistant to help with her day-to-day. Taking a chance on a young and cheery woman,...

Tubi is set to launch four new original Black cinema thrillers from Footage Films: “The Assistant,” “Best Friend,” “You’re Not Alone” and “No Way Out.”

The four upcoming thrillers are directed by Christopher B. Stokes from scripts the filmmaker co-wrote with Marques Houston. Stokes and Houston also serve as executive producers on the films, with Footage Films president Juanita Stokes as producer. Tubi has previously worked with Footage Films on several original films, including “The Stepmother” and “The Stepmother 2.”

Per the logline, “The Assistant” follows doctor Raven Fields (Erica Mena) who “finds herself drowning in work and looks to hire an assistant to help with her day-to-day. Taking a chance on a young and cheery woman, Raven believes she’s found the perfect person until assistance turns into obsession, and she risks losing everything, including her life.” In addition to Mena, the film stars Parker McKenna Posey, Flex Alexander,...

Exclusive: Television writer-producer, Wayne Conley, has signed with APA.

Conley’s recent television credits range from Showtime’s White Famous to OWN’s Delilah and Greenleaf, and he’s currently developing a fast-tracked half-hour dramedy for FX. Conley’s numerous feature film credits include Fox Searchlight’s Our Family Wedding, directed by Rick Famuyiwa and director Jeff Byrd’s King’s Ransom.

Conley is the latest scribe to ink with APA since the agency signed the WGA’s franchise agreement earlier this year. Other recent signings include Spinning Out showrunner Lara Olsen, American Gods executive producer Anne Kenney, Killer Women creator Hannah Shakespeare, The Middle executive producer Tim Hobert, Emerald City creator Matthew Arnold, 11.22.63 executive producer Brian Nelson, The Son co-creator Lee Shipman and Rescue Me executive producer Evan Reilly.

Conley continues to be repped by Brad Kaplan at Link Entertainment and Rob Szymanski at Eclipse Law.

Exclusive: Luisa Leschin, who is currently co-exec producer of Netflix’s Mr. Iglesias, has signed with APA.

Leschin is an industry vet having worked on shows such as as George Lopez, Everybody Hates Chris and East Los High.

She began her career as a ballet dancer then turned to acting, having appeared in many iconic TV series including Beverly Hills 90210, Love Boat, ER, Quincy, Falcon Crest and Hill St. Blues. On the feature side, she has appeared in Saturday Night Fever and True Confessions.

Last year, she was the recipient of Norman Lear Writer’s Award at the 34th Annual Imagen Awards. She also co-founded theater group, Latins Anonymous, to give Latinx more opportunities.

Leschin (left) is the latest writer-producer to ink with APA since the agency signed the WGA’s franchise agreement earlier this year. Other recent signings include Spinning Out showrunner Lara Olsen, American Gods executive producer Anne Kenney,...

Exclusive: Screenwriter and former Defense Intelligence Agency officer, Mitchell Lafortune has inked with APA.

Lafortune, who has served on multiple intelligence deployments to Afghanistan, recently penned Burn Run which turned into Kandahar, repping Gerard Butler’s reteam with his Angel Has Fallen filmmaker Ric Roman Waugh. Kandahar was a notable seller in the recent 2020 virtual Cannes market, as Deadline first told you.

Lafortune has worked on revisions for Butler’s Greenland, Robocop Returns for MGM, Split Second, Manhunt for Solstice, and The Gone World for 20th Century Studios.

Additionally, Lafortune just signed on to adapt the 2019 documentary Last Breath, a suspenseful survival story of deep-sea saturation diving that occurred in 2012 for Gold Circle, as well as an action franchise set in the Middle East for M.B.C. studios.

Earlier this week, Lafortune became attached for the feature adaptation of author Perry O’Brien’s revenge thriller, Fire in The Blood,...

Exclusive: Apa has signed executive producer-writer-creator Brian Nelson. He was formerly with CAA.

Nelson recently served as executive producer on Stephen King’s 11.22.63 at Hulu, on Syfy’s Nightflyers based on the novella by George R.R. Martin, DaVinci’s Demons at Starz, and as co-executive producer on Altered Carbon at Netflix. On the film side, his first feature Hard Candy, starring Ellen Page, remains a cult classic. He went on to write 30 Days of Night for David Slade with Sam Raimi producing, and Devil for M. Night Shyamalan’s Blinding Edge Pictures. Nelson continues to be repped by Management 360.

Apa is one of a few full-service agencies in the industry currently able to represent writers during the ongoing WGA standoff. Earlier this year, the agency signed the WGA’s franchise agreement after merging its television and motion picture divisions under the banner of Apa Scripted Literary to offer clients a forward-thinking approach to representation.

Syfy has opted not to renew Nightflyers for a second season. A rep for the network confirmed to Deadline that Syfy would not be picking up additional episodes of the high-profile space horror drama based on the novella by George R.R. Martin.

Nighflyers, which went straight-to-series after Netflix came on board as co-producer/international distributor alongside Ucp, had a multi-platform rollout in December, with all 10 episodes debuting across all Syfy platforms timed to the beginning of the linear telecast.

The series’ linear ratings were pretty modest despite stunts that included telecasts with limited commercial interruption across all platforms and weekend marathons giving fans an additional opportunity to catch up on the series.

Nightflyers had been conceived as an ongoing series but I hear that following its freshman season run, Syfy brass concluded that it was better off as a one-off limited series. The options on the cast were let to expire,...

“Nightflyers” begins with a compelling sequence taken from late in its story’s action, in which Dr. Agatha Matheson (Gretchen Mol) is fighting for her life on a space journey gone horribly wrong. She’s fleeing an assailant who seems compelled by something unearthly, and goes on to send a warning to whomever out there is listening not to bring her ship back to Earth but to leave it where it lies, a vessel too compromised to breach our familiar atmosphere. She goes on, within the show’s first five minutes, to kill herself.

It’s a striking opening to a show that doesn’t quite earn it. “Nightflyers,” based on the pre-Westeros writing of George R. R. Martin, is a fine addition to an onscreen canon that’s already well-stuffed — that of the space horror story. But it flails when it comes to doing anything new with a metaphor that’s been worn thin,...

Syfy has set a multi-platform rollout for Nightflyers, the anticipated original space horror drama based on the novella by George R.R. Martin. Beginning December 2, all 10 episodes will debut across all Syfy platforms timed to the beginning of the linear telecast.

Episodes 1-5 will debut Sunday, December 2 through Thursday, December 6 at 10/9c, and episodes 6-10 on Sunday, December 9 through Thursday, December 13 at 10/9c with limited commercial interruption across all platforms. Weekend marathons will give fans an additional opportunity to catch up on the series.

Later today New York Comic Con attendees will get an exclusive look at Nightflyers in a world premiere screening, followed by a Q&A with the show’s cast and creators.

Set in the year 2093, Nightflyers, based on Martin’s novella, follows a team of scientists aboard The Nightflyer, the most advanced ship ever built, as they embark on a journey to find other life forms. Their...

A new promo for Syfy’s upcoming series “Nightflyers” teases “no escape” for the space travelers on board the Nightflyer, the most advanced ship ever built.

“Each of us had our own reasons for boarding this ship,” a disembodied voice says in the teaser. “We were all running from something. But on the Nightflyer, there’s no place to hide. There is no escape.” The series, set in 2093 is about a team of scientists that sets out into space to find other life forms and is based on “Game of Thrones” author George R. R. Martin’s novella.

It was announced Friday that the first five episodes will be available to fans from Dec. 2 – Dec. 6, and episodes 6-10 from De. 9 – Dec. 13. Viewers will be able to watch on the Syfy channel, Syfy On Demand, online at Syfy.com and the Syfy app.

Also Read: NBC Universal's Syfy Extends Partnership...

It's only the first official day of San Diego Comic Con but we already have some significant science fiction to tide us over for fall.

In addition to Doctor Who and Origin, we can now add George R.R. Martin's Nightflyers to the list.

These people are going to have to fight harder to stay alive than they've ever fought for anything.

In 2093, in hopes of making contact with a mysterious alien life at the edge of our solar system, a group of maverick scientists and a powerful telepath embark on an expedition aboard The Nightflyer.

Related: Origin Teaser: YouTube Red Premieres First Look at Comic Con!

As they race towards first contact, terrifying and violent events begin to occur, causing the once tight-knit crew to mistrust each other.

It's not long before their main mission becomes survival.

This sounds very familiar to me and most like the fantastic but...

Syfy has unveiled teasers for its new series, George R.R. Martin’s Nightflyers and Deadly Class. See both below.

Nightflyers is a supernatural thriller based on the novella by George R.R. Martin (Game of Thrones) and the 1987 film. Jeff Buhler (Jacob’s Ladder) wrote the adaptation, is showrunner and executive producer. The series follows eight maverick scientists and a powerful telepath who embark on an expedition to the edge of our solar system aboard The Nightflyer – a ship with a small tightknit crew and a reclusive captain — in the hope of making contact with alien life. But when terrifying and violent events begin to take place they start to question each other — and surviving the journey proves harder than anyone thought.

The series is produced by Universal Cable Productions. Netflix will co-produce and have first-run rights to the series outside of the U.S.

Martin executive produces with Brian Nelson,...

Steven Shainberg’s Rupture begins with an image of something I hate – a spider – and ends with another image of something I also hate – another spider. Is there any correlation between my hatred of spiders and my issues with this film? No, I’ve survived the likes of Eight Legged Freaks and Spiders 3D. My qualms are instead with Brian Nelson’s screenplay, based on a half-baked “idea” torn from one single sequence in Tim Miller’s Deadpool. While I might hate surprise spiders, (others do too, so you’re welcome), steadfast direction and tingling thrills are worth any arachnophobia jolts. Alas, these are two things that escape Shainberg’s cold, imprisoning experiment. Two of many.

Noomi Rapace stars as Renee, a single mother living in Kansas City who’s about to conquer her fears! Not in the way she expected, though. Renee’s plans of skydiving are derailed when...

It’s taken ten years, but Secretary director Steven Shainberg has finally followed-up Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus. The result is Rupture, a body horror-lite tale about a woman held captive as part of an experiment meant to unlock humanity’s hidden potential to evolve beyond our current state. Written by Brian Nelson (the two share story credit), its script seeks to mess with our expectations as it does its prisoner Renee (Noomi Rapace). We’re to cultivate a sense of paranoia with surveillance dominating the first act to a point where we must scratch our heads at act two’s distinct lack of it to facilitate Renee’s actions. Is this shift an unfortunate plot-hole or merely deflection to distract us? Is it hallucination or reality, trick or mistake?

These are the questions we should ask because they allow us to dig deeper into the events surrounding...

​Seth Metoyer,

MoreHorror.com

Writer/director Steven Shainberg became an ​award-winning indie film sensation with 2002's kink masterpiece ​Secretary and now he plans to spank viewers with the sci-fi thriller Rupture.

Ambi Media Group will release the sci-fi thriller Rupture in theaters and On Demand April 28, 2017. The film is currently available exclusively on DirecTV.

Check out the trailer below the official press details.

From The Press Release

"Secretary's Steven Shainberg tackles both sci-fi and horror with great success." - Birth.Movies.Death​.​

Ambi Media Group will release the sci-fi thriller Rupture in theaters and On Demand April 28, 2017. The film is currently available exclusively on DirecTV.

Rupture is directed by Steven Shainberg ​(Secretary, Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus) from a script co-written by Shainberg and Brian Nelson​ (Hard Candy, 30 Days of Night)​​. The ​​​film stars Noomi Rapace (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Prometheus), Peter Stormare (The Big Lebowski,...

When a seemingly ordinary woman is pulled over to the side of the road and kidnapped at the beginning of “Rupture,” you might think you’re in for a pulpy, page-turning thriller. But the new film from Steven Shainberg (“Secretary,” “Fur“) turns out be something quite unexpected in the director’s first foray into horror.

Read More: ‘Secretary’ Director Steven Shainberg Goes Genre With Mixed Results In ‘Rupture’ Starring Noomi Rapace [Review]

Co-written by Shainberg and Brian Nelson (“Hard Candy“), once the movie kicks into action, it unfolds all in a single location, where a young woman and mother, played by Noomi Rapace, has to figure why she’s being held and experimented on inside a warehouse hiding no shortage of secrets.

Continue reading People Are The Virus In First Trailer For Horror ‘Rupture’ Starring Noomi Rapace at The Playlist.

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Our Us chums have seen Hulu's 11.22.63, now airing on Fox in the UK. Here are their spoiler-free thoughts on the Stephen King adaptation...

Spoiler Alert: President John F. Kennedy died on November 22, 1963 and nothing Stephen King can write will ever change that. Oh maybe he’ll change it for a little while, but it will change right back if you ever come out of the closet. That’s the basic premise of Hulu’s miniseries on the best-selling 2011 Stephen King novel 11/22/63.

“If you do something that really fucks with the past, the past fucks with you,” Warns diner owner Al Templeton, played by Chris Cooper, to his casual friend, the local high school English teacher Jake Epping, played by James Franco. Templeton has a tendency to age in spurts, not the regular acceleration of ageing that comes when the body ages, but in three-year-spurts that happen in about two minutes.

Michelle Wilkins lost more than half of her blood when Dynel Lane attacked her and cut her 7-month-old fetus from her womb last March, jurors in Lane's trial heard Thursday. In the other major development of the Colorado trial yesterday, the judge ruled that the jury will not hear anything about the cause and manner of the death of Wilkins's fetus, who did not survive the attack, since Lane is not charged in that death, the Denver Post reports. It was a grim morning in the Boulder courtroom - a day after Wilkins herself tearfully testified - as the prosecution...

Whether you're a fright fanatic, a middle-of-the-row horror fan, or a "someone-dragged-me-here" who barely watches from between terrified, trembling fingers, you've probably noticed an interesting trend: a lot of recent horror movies are based on true stories. At least that's what the filmmakers would have us believe.

The all-too-common "based on a true story" or "based on true events," along with the less reliable "inspired by true events," have become ubiquitous additions to most horror movie marketing campaigns. But this is nothing new. Going all the way back to the "Texas Chainsaw Massacre's" iconic 1974 tagline -- "What happened is true. Now the motion picture that's just as real." -- the truth has always been an important tactic in upping the fear factor for audiences.

If events truly did happen, does that make it more frightening? The recent success of movies like "The Conjuring" (2013), "The Possession" (2012) and "The Haunting in Connecticut" (2009) point to a big "yes,...

Free Fire, Akira, All I See Is You, and other films have made recent film casting, screenwriting, and director news. These films come from movie studios primarily based in the United States. The castings, screenwriters, and directors are subject to change.

Untitled WWII movie

Brad Pitt has been looking for a lover for his next WWII movie and he has finally found one in Oscar winner Marion Cotillard, who’s in negotiations to join him in the untitled period film that Robert Zemeckis is directing

Steven Knight wrote the script

Pitt and Cotillard will play assassins who fall in love during a mission to kill a German official. They soon marry, but their romance is cut short when Pitt is told that his wife is a double agent working for the German government and he must kill her.

Akira

Warner Bros…has hired “Daredevil” writer Marco Ramirez to adapt the...

Peter Stormare, Kerry Bishé, Lesley Manville and Ari Millen have joined Noomi Rapace and Michael Chiklis on the sci-fi adventure thriller that began shooting in Toronto on Tuesday.

Rapace plays a single mother abducted by a mysterious organisation who reveal to her that humanity faces an threat from within.

Steven Shainberg directs Rupture from a screenplay by Brian Nelson based on a story by Shainberg and Nelson.

Ambi Pictures principals Andrea Iervolino and Monika Bacardi produce alongside American Sniper producer Andrew Lazar and Christina Weiss Lurie of Tango Pictures Production, the company they formed with Shainberg.

Ambi Distribution handles world sales.

Independence Day 2

Chin Han ("The Dark Knight") has joined the cast of the "Independence Day" sequel shooting in New Mexico. The film's director Roland Emmerich announced the news through his Twitter account.

Han previously worked with Emmerich on "2012" and here will play the leader of the Chinese Space Squadron. The film is due for release June 24th 2016. [Source: Twitter]

Rupture

Kerry Bishe, Peter Stormare, Lesley Manville and Ari Millen have joined the cast of sci-fi adventure thriller "Rupture" alongside Noomi Rapace and Michael Chiklis. Filming began Tuesday in Toronto.

Rapace plays a single mother abducted by a terrifying and mysterious organization who reveal to her that humanity faces an unsettling threat. Steven Shainberg is directing from Brian Nelson's script. [Source: Variety]

Empire

Adam Rodriguez ("Magic Mike") has scored a recurring role in the second season of Fox's hip-hop drama "Empire". Rodriguez joins previously announced guest stars Chris Rock, Alicia Keys, Lenny Kravitz and Ne-Yo.

Most recently seen as circus strongman Dell Toledo in American Horror Story: Freakshow, Michael Chiklis is keeping it sinister for his next role. He'll join Noomi Rapace in the sci-fi thriller Rupture, where he'll play the heavy yet again.The film's director is Secretary's Steven Shainberg, and Brian Nelson (30 Days Of Night) wrote the screenplay. The plot is still largely under wraps, but we do know that Rapace is playing a single mother, struggling to raise her son alone, who is abducted by a mysterious organisation. Chiklis will play the organisation's point man, overseeing the whole nefarious business.American Sniper's Andrew Lazar is among the producers, and more casting news is expected soon. Shooting starts next month.

Michael Chiklis will join Noomi Rapace in upcoming sci-fi thriller Rupture.

The American Horror Story: Freak Show star will appear in the film which follows the story of a single mother (Rapace) who gets abducted by a mysterious organisation.

Tied up and captured in a lab, the woman finds out that she has a genetic abnormality which means she can rupture.

If she was to rupture, her alien nature would be released into the world.

Deadline reports that Chiklis will appear as The Bald Man, the organisation's point man.

Rupture is based on a story from Steven Shainberg and Brian Nelson, with Nelson behind the screenplay and Shainberg directing.

American Sniper's Andrew Lazar will produce the project.

Sleepless Night

T.I., Dermot Mulroney, Scoot McNairy and David Harbour are set to join Jamie Foxx, Gabrielle Union and Michelle Monaghan in Baran bo Odar's action thriller "Sleepless Night". Andrea Berloff penned the script and filming begins June 15th in Atlanta and Las Vegas

Foxx plays a seemingly corrupt Las Vegas cop whose son is kidnaped by gangsters (Mulroney, McNairy) who want a shipment of cocaine he stole as payment. He races to save his child's life without getting caught by Internal Affairs and before the mobsters discover that he's actually lost the goods. [Source: Heat Vision]

Confirmation

Jennifer Hudson, Greg Kinnear, Jeffrey Wright and Alison Wright have joined the cast of "Confirmation," the TV movie about Clarence Thomas' Supreme Court confirmation hearings. The join Kerry Washington, Wendell Pierce and Eric Stonestreet in the project.

The story explores the explosive 1991 Supreme Court nomination hearings which brought the country to a standstill...

Preacher

It's official, Dominic Cooper is set to star as Jesse Custer in AMC's pilot for their TV series adaptation of the acclaimed "Preacher" comics. Producer Seth Rogen confirmed the news a few hours ago in a tweet.

In the series, Cooper plays a conflicted preacher who merges with a creature that has escaped from heaven, giving him the ability to make anyone do anything he says. He teams with his ex-girlfriend and an Irish vampire in an effort to find where God has gone.

Marwencol

Steve Carell will star in the Robert Zemeckis" narrative film adaptation of Jeff Malmberg’s 2010 documentary "Marwencol” at Universal Pictures.

The story centers on a man who recovers from an assault by building a miniature World War II-era village in his backyard. [Source: Variety]

Rupture

Noomi Rapace has scored the lead role in Steven Shainberg's sci-fi adventure thriller "Rupture" which Andrew Lazar is slated to produce for Tango Pictures.

Having trod the hallways of science fiction in Prometheus, Noomi Rapace is now headed back to the genre for Rupture, a new thriller from Secretary director Steven Shainberg.The film, which has a story by Shainberg and 30 Days Of Night’s Brian Nelson (who also wrote the final script), is being largely kept under wraps in terms of plot, but we do know a few things. Rapace will play a single mother who, struggling to raise her son alone, is abducted by a mysterious organisation. While trying to escape, she uncovers an extraordinary secret about herself. She’s a superhero! All right, so we don’t know that’s what it is. Could be, though...American Sniper producer Andrew Lazar is bringing this one to life alongside Ambi Group. More casting news is expected soon and Shainberg looking to start shooting this June.Rapace is back on our screens this coming weekend,...

Before 50 Shades of Grey was made fashionable by mainstream auds, Secretary was a sizzler cubicle space title that made Steven Shainberg a sought after indie helmer. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, Rupture will be his comeback of sorts, as he hasn’t lensed a film in almost a decade. To be fair, he did produced some projects, including Our Brand is Crisis for his docu-filmmaker wife Rachel Boynton, but his highly imaginative Fur was completely maimed during its theatrical run. Producer Andrew Lazar who broke out with 1996′s Bound (worthy pair in his filmography include Confessions of a Dangerous Mind and the underrated 2009 comedy, I Love You Phillip Morris) and recently broke the bank with American Sniper is producing the project along with Christina Weiss Lurie (frequent Sundance accepted docu-producer), Ambi’s Andrea Iervolino and Lady Monika Bacardi (The Humbling, James Franco’s currently being filmed In Dubious Battle...

Coming off 2014’s highest grossing film, “American Sniper,” Oscar-nominated producer Andrew Lazar has teamed with “Secretary” director Steven Shainberg on the sci-fi adventure thriller “Rupture,” it was announced Thursday. Brian Nelson (“30 Days of Night”) wrote the script, based on a story by Nelson and Shainberg. Story follows a single mother, struggling to raise her son alone, who is abducted by a mysterious organization. While trying to escape, she uncovers an extraordinary secret about herself. Tango Pictures, which is a partnership between Christina Weiss Lurie, Shainberg and Lazar, is teaming with Andrea Iervolino and Lady Monika Bacardi’s Ambi Group to make the film.

The American Sniper producer has set his sights on the sci-fi adventure for Ambi Group. Ambi Distribution handles international sales and will introduce the project in Cannes.

Lazar will produce alongside Ambi’s Andrea Iervolino and Lady Monika Bacardi (pictured) as well as Christina Weiss Lurie, with Steven Shainberg set to direct. Lurie, Shainberg and Lazar run Tango Pictures.

The project is based on a story by Shainberg and Brian Nelson, who wrote the screenplay about a single mother abducted by a mysterious organisation.

Ambi is currently in production on James Franco’s In Dubious Battle based on John Steinbeck’s novel about the struggle between labour and capital in 1930s America.

The New Orleans Film Festival came to a close this week with over 33,000 attendees turning out for two weeks of screenings, panel discussions and special events. This year, the festival launched an initiative funded by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences to spotlight black film, with filmmakers flying in from across the country to screen their work, speak at festival events, and participate in a mentorship program bringing local filmmakers together with industry leaders. Five up-and-coming New Orleans filmmakers – Brian Nelson, Jonathan Jackson, Kiel Adrian Scott, Lizzie Ford-Madrid, and Cj Hunt – were chosen to participate in the Emerging Voices mentorship...

Da Vinci’s Demons, Season 2: Episode 10 – “The Sins of Daedalus”

Written by Corey Reed & Marco Ramirez (story by Brian Nelson & Corey Reed)

Directed by Peter Hoar

Returns to Starz for a third season in 2015

As was the case last year, Da Vinci’s Demons concludes its season with a somewhat frustrating cliffhanger that leaves plenty of doors open but fails to satisfy enough by not paying off certain season-long threads. I should qualify that by restating that this has been a much stronger season for DVD than its debut. Most of those threads have worked along the way in surprising and engaging fashion. So much has happened in these ten episodes, and David S. Goyer’s team has found the best ways to use a lot of the supporting characters to avoid filler material where one might expect it to be. Yet, for all the improvements the series has made,...

Da Vinci’s Demons, Season 2: Episode 9 – “The Enemies of Man”

Written by Allison Moore & Marco Ramirez (story by Brian Nelson & Marco Ramirez)

Directed by Justin Molotnikov

Airs Saturday nights at 9 on Starz

After a thoroughly entertaining departure from the series norm by visiting the New World, Da Vinci’s Demons brings several of its central characters back to Italy–Leo to Florence and Riario to Rome. The help of the exotic setting has made much of this second season so enjoyable, but luckily the events we see here in Florence, at least, aren’t boring in the slightest. The city has been sacked by Duke Federico, making Leo’s homecoming more than just a little bit problematic (and not very warm at all). If other areas of “The Enemies of Man” slightly drag, this central plot does exactly what DVD needs to do on a weekly basis to be...

Da Vinci’s Demons, Season 2: Episode 7 – “The Vault of Heaven”

Written by Brian Nelson & Marco Ramirez

Directed by Peter Hoar

Airs Saturday nights at 9 on Starz

One of the more surprising improvements Da Vinci’s Demons has made in its second season is how the diverging storylines in any given episode manage to work well in tandem. Even if some of them are unrelated, there is enough going on that is, at the very least, entertaining to give purpose to following certain characters. “The Vault of Heaven” doesn’t deviate from that formula. And, really, none of the supporting storylines that serve the main one from which the episode gets its title fall completely flat. They each work in their own ways. The problem in this case is that this is an episode of DVD that needed to be completely focused on Leonardo’s trip into the Vault of Heaven.

Review Ron Hogan 5 May 2014 - 07:12

Leonardo faces a familiar gauntlet of traps and obstacles this week. Here's Ron's review...

This review contains spoilers.

2.7 The Vault Of Heaven

If you've seen Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, you'll be familiar with this week's episode of Da Vinci's Demons. In that particular Indy adventure, he had out use his father's journal to outwit a series of traps laid for him (and the Nazis that followed him) to prevent the unworthy from seeking the holy grail. There was a doorway that decapitated people, a series of steps that would collapse beneath someone walking across them, and a well-camouflaged path over a bottomless pit. Strangely enough, The Vault Of Heaven takes these same puzzles and reuses them, with only a few minor tweaks: there's an Incan disco ball and some magic triangles, a keypad with a hundred different keyholes and a rock that...

Da Vinci’s Demons, Season 2: Episode 3 – “The Voyage of the Damned”

Written by Brian Nelson

Directed by Peter Hoar

Airs Saturday nights at 9 on Starz

When Da Vinci’s Demons originally got a second season order with an additional two episodes, it seemed like a decision that would improve the season rather than make it drag. Like the series it just replaced in the Starz line-up, Black Sails, DVD has a huge world to explore. Naturally, it would make sense that more episodes would mean a fuller exploration of that world. Yet, when I was watching “The Voyage of the Damned,” it became clear that David S. Goyer would be attempting to build internally before building externally. The episode is absolutely a piece-moving episode, which is not an immediately damning quality. Game of Thrones actually gets by on being almost a piece-moving series. As long as the characters are engaging and the material interesting,...

Review Ron Hogan 6 Apr 2014 - 15:55

The Voyage Of The Damned is a solid instalment for Da Vinci's Demons, despite lacking in focus...

This review contains spoilers.

2.3 The Voyage Of The Damned

One of the little pleasures of Da Vinci's Demons is the way the show works Da Vinci's actual achievements into the show. From his invention of the Gatling-style machine gun to his testing of flying wings in the very early stages of the first season, when the show brings one of Da Vinci's mad inventions to the screen, it usually is one of the coolest aspects of the episode. During this episode, we get a prolonged genesis and creation of one of Leonardo's most interesting creations: the submarine.

After getting thrown off the boat he was hoping to abscond with after doing a pretty good Riario impersonation (complete with hipster hat and Renaissance sunglasses) and getting in a...