Latest news with #Sirens'
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Sirens' Is The Top TV Show On Netflix Right Now
'Sirens' is the top TV series on Netflix right now, according to the streamer's public ranking system. The dark comedy series features Julianne Moore as Michaela Kell, a mysterious socialite who lives a 'cult-ish life of luxury' at a 'lavish island estate,' the Netflix logline states. She hires Simone (Milly Alcock) who becomes obsessed with that rich lifestyle and forms a weird relationship with Michaela, so much so that her sister Devon (Meghann Fahy) decides to stage an intervention. The five-episode limited series, which debuted on May 22, has been called 'bizarre,' 'chaotic' and 'utterly addictive.' Kevin Bacon, Glenn Howerton, Felix Solis and Bill Camp also star in the series. Read on for more trending shows of the moment across streaming services, including Max, Peacock, Prime Video and Paramount+. And if you want to stay informed about all things streaming and entertainment, subscribe to the Culture Catchall newsletter. The 'Sex and the City' spinoff returned to Max on Thursday night with its Season 3 premiere. Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker), Miranda (Cynthia Nixon), Charlotte (Kristin Davis), Seema (Sarita Choudhury) and Lisa (Nicole Ari Parker) all return as series regulars, and Thursday's episode includes a fun guest star who we hope sticks around for a while. You can read the HuffPost recap here. New episodes air on Thursday nights on Max. Speaking of guest stars, 'Poker Face' is chock full of 'em. Season 2 includes Cynthia Erivo, Katie Holmes, Giancarlo Esposito and several other big-name actors. The mystery-of-the-week-series, now in its second season, centers on Natasha Lyonne as a modern-day Columbo, with a never-failing talent that helps her solve crimes: She can call anyone out when they're lying. New episodes air on Thursdays on Peacock. 'The Better Sister' stars Jessica Biel and Elizabeth Banks as two estranged sisters who are forced to reunite after one of their husbands is killed. The thriller series is based on a best-selling novel by Alafair Burke and premiered on Prime Video last week. Reviews have been mixed, and it has been described as both underwhelming and savvy. All episodes are streaming on Prime Video. 'Criminal Minds: Evolution,' the follow-up series to 'Criminal Minds,' was a top performer on Paramount+ this week. The series began another season in May, with new episodes airing weekly on Thursdays. It follows the behavioral analysis unit of the FBI, which investigates a network of serial killers born out of the COVID-19 pandemic. The show stars Joe Mantegna, A.J. Cook, Kirsten Vangsness and Aisha Tyler. If you're looking for other TV shows to watch, check out our What We're Watching blog. 'And Just Like That' Is Back — And Carrie's Love Life Is Still A Mess Actor Lauren Weedman Was Diagnosed With Bell's Palsy. Then, Hollywood Showed Up In The Most Unexpected Way. 'The Secret Lives Of Mormon Wives' Is A Fascinating Look At Faith And Social Media Fame
Los Angeles Times
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Playwright Molly Smith Metzler scores with ‘Sirens' on Netflix: L.A. arts and culture this week
'Sirens,' starring Julianne Moore, Kevin Bacon, Milly Alcock and Meghann Fahy, debuted over Memorial Day weekend as Netflix's most-watched show with 16.7 million viewers. What many of those viewers might not have known: The series is based on a play. Created by Molly Smith Metzler, 'Sirens' is adapted from a 2011 one-act, 'Elemeno Pea,' which Metzler wrote when she was at Juilliard. The play premiered that year as part of the 35th anniversary of the Humana Festival of New American Plays in Louisville. It also staged a run at South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa in 2012. 'Sirens' and 'Elemeno Pea' are about a young woman who overcomes a tough childhood only to drop out of law school and become a personal assistant to a billionaire's narcissistic wife. Cutting satire ensues when the girl's street-smart sister, who believes her sibling is being devoured whole by the 1 percent, intervenes to save her. The show is a meditation on class and what might best be described as a distinctly American caste system — one in which people from disadvantaged or working-class backgrounds can achieve the trappings of success without ever truly being accepted in the rarefied rooms they occupy. Metzler knows of what she writes — having ascended from the world of struggling playwrights to that of well-paid television writers while raising a young daughter. She was lucky to come into her own during the era of peak TV when the strong storytelling skills of playwrights were in high demand for screen projects. I first met Metzler in 2018 when I wrote about the West Coast premiere of her play 'Cry It Out' at Atwater Village Theatre. She is warm and welcoming, a devoted mother and a savvy businesswoman and artist. At that time Metzler had already written for the TV shows 'Casual' and 'Shameless,' but in 2021 she broke through as a showrunner for the Netflix limited series 'Maid,' which she adapted from Stephanie Land's bestselling memoir. The Emmy-nominated show became the streamer's fourth-most watched show that year. Metzler recruited fellow playwrights Bekah Brunstetter and Marcus Gardley to write for 'Maid.' Brunstetter, whose 2015 play, 'The Cake,' ran at La Jolla Playhouse, also penned an episode of 'Sirens.' The remaining four episodes were written by Metzler and her husband, Colin McKenna, also a playwright. When 'Elemeno Pea' first ran at South Coast Rep, Metzler was 33 and living with McKenna in Brooklyn Heights. The Kingston, N.Y.-native told The Times in an interview that the play was based on her own experience getting to know an outrageously rich woman on Martha's Vineyard during a post-collegiate stay to gather material for future plays. Back then Metzler told The Times: 'I don't want to be a screenwriter. I might write screenplays to pay my rent — most playwrights do — but I am compelled by how hard this art is. I love the challenge of it.' Metzler has now achieved a rare kind of success: She gets the best of both worlds. I'm arts and culture writer Jessica Gelt, binge-watching my way through Metzler's oeuvre. Here's your weekly dose of arts news. 'World of the Terracotta Warriors' has opened at the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana, with more than a hundred artifacts dating from 2300 BC and discovered in Shimao, one of the earliest walled cities in China. Life-size ceramic warrior sculptures are on view with jade, gold and bronze relics in an exhibition organized by the Bowers with the Shaanxi Provincial Cultural Heritage Administration, Shaanxi Cultural Heritage Promotion Center and Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum of the People's Republic of China. This special exhibition costs $11-$29. The museum is open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays-Sundays, through Oct. 19. President Trump announced Friday that he is firing Kim Sajet, the longtime director of the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery, for being 'a highly partisan person, and a strong supporter of DEI.' The move is Trump's latest push to align national arts institutions with his political agenda. In February, he dismissed much of the Kennedy Center board to have himself appointed chairman. In March, he targeted the Smithsonian Institution by issuing an executive order demanding an end to federal funding for exhibitions and programs based on racial themes that 'divide Americans.' Times music critic Mark Swed was in New York to gauge the reception to Gustavo Dudamel, a year ahead of his official start at music and artistic director of the New York Philharmonic. The verdict: So far, so good. Nadya Tolokonnikova, a founding member of the Russian all-female punk band Pussy Riot and a prominent political activist, is staging a durational performance piece at Museum of Contemporary Art titled 'Police State.' The work, which runs from Thursday to June 14, consists of Tolokonnikova sitting at a bare wooden table inside of a corrugated steel structure resembling a Russian prison cell. She plans to stay in this artscape throughout the day and night— eating, drinking and even going to the restroom. She will occasionally perform what the museum is calling 'soundscapes' — a mix of lullabies, screaming and noise rock. Visitors to the museum can watch her through peepholes and via feed from a security camera. Tolokonnikova's performance is born from hard, personal experience. She spent nearly two years in a Russian prison after being arrested for a 2012 performance in Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. The world-premiere play 'The Reservoir' by Jake Brasch is in rehearsals at Geffen Playhouse in Westwood. The heartfelt comedy finds two hilarious grandparents, Shrimpy and Bev, helping their grandson Josh navigate life during a difficult stretch of time. Veteran actor Lee Wilkof plays Shrimpy, and the Geffen recently shared an interesting tidbit of trivia with The Times about him: In 1982 Wilkof originated the role of Seymour in the Workshop of the Players Art Foundation's off-off-Broadway world premiere of 'Little Shop of Horrors' alongside Ellen Greene as Audrey. The show soon debuted off-Broadway at the Orpheum Theatre in the East Village. In 1983 Wilkof and Greene performed the musical at Geffen Playhouse, which was called the Westwood Playhouse at the time. 'The Reservoir' marks Wilkof's return to the building and its stage. Here's a clip of Wilkof and Greene performing 'Somewhere That's Green' and 'Suddenly Seymour' on 'The Tonight Show' in 1983. Interested in tarot? A show with the lengthy and informative title of 'Tarot in Time: A Collection of Rare & Out of Print Decks and Original Tarot Art,' recently opened at the Philosophical Research Society. It's part of the inaugural Los Angeles Festival of Tarot, and it's scheduled to run through June 29. A mom-nod of approval for MOCA for providing children with worksheets relating to its Olafur Eliasson exhibition 'Open' at the Geffen Contemporary in Little Tokyo. The worksheets, which are handed out with a pencil and clipboard, give kids a series of questions relating to each piece of art, encouraging them to engage on a deeper level than they would if they were just cruising through with parents. Finished worksheets can be exchanged at the front desk for a prize: a cute pin that reads 'Art Is for Everyone.'
Business Insider
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Business Insider
Will there be a second season of Netflix's 'Sirens'? Here's what to know about the dark comedy's ending.
Netflix's new dark comedy " Sirens" is so addictive, it may leave fans calling out for more. "Sirens" takes place over Labor Day weekend on a lavish island called Port Haven, where aspiring lawyer Simone DeWitt (Milly Alcock) is working as a live-in assistant to the enigmatic and alluring billionaire Michaela Kell (Julianne Moore). Simone's life among the upper class is disrupted by the arrival of her older sister, Devon (Meghann Fahy), who treks from Buffalo to the town in order to reconnect with Simone and get help taking care of their ailing dad, Bruce (Bill Camp). The five-episode series is adapted from Molly Smith Metzler's play Elemeno Pea, which she wrote while attending the Juilliard School. She serves as the showrunner. During its premiere week, "Sirens" debuted in the No. 1 spot on Netflix's English TV list and amassed 16.7 million views in four days. Although "Sirens" ends by tying up the main characters' storylines, some questions remain, leaving fans wondering if this is the last they've seen of everyone. Here's what happens to every major character, and a rundown of whether "Sirens" could be back for season two. The 'Sirens' ending swaps the fates of Simone and Michaela At the end of episode four, after Simone rejects his proposal, a drunken Ethan (Glenn Howerton) calls her a monster, blames her for his problems, and trips and falls from the estate's cliff. Ethan doesn't die, though. In the finale, he wakes up in the hospital high on meds with both his legs, an arm, and a couple of ribs broken, though he's expected to make a full recovery. Michaela then fires Simone after learning that her husband, Peter (Kevin Bacon), and Simone kissed. Even though it was a momentary lapse in judgment from Peter that Simone didn't instigate, Michaela feels that Simone can't be trusted anymore and has become a threat to her marriage. Devon chooses to return to Buffalo with her dad to continue being his caretaker, rather than spend a month on a yacht with Morgan (Trevor Salter), one of the locals she hooked up with. But Simone refuses to join them, because she's unable to forgive her dad for neglecting her as a child, since his actions led to her ending up in foster care. Simone runs back to the Cliff House with no plan, just desperate not to return to Buffalo. In doing so, she bumps into Peter, who proclaims his love for her. Mid-gala, Peter ends his 13-year marriage to Michaela and starts a relationship with Simone, who he believes will bring "love and light" into his life (and maybe even another child). Simone then morphs into Michaela 2.0, adopting her cultlike mannerisms and embracing her new position of power at the estate. She and Devon have an emotional goodbye, knowing that they're embarking on completely different paths. On the ferry ride out of Port Haven, Devon runs into Michaela, who's been ousted from Cliff House and has no idea where she's headed. Devon apologizes for accusing Michaela of being a murderer and a cult leader, and Michaela accepts her apology and encourages Devon to cash the $10,000 check she gave her at the start of the series so she can fund a better life for herself in Buffalo. The series concludes with Simone, wearing an elegant light-blue gown that Michaela got her for the gala, standing at the cliff, staring at the vista during sunset with the hint of a smile. Will 'Sirens' return for season two? The short answer: probably not. "Sirens" is categorized and promoted as a Netflix limited series. That said, a second season isn't entirely unlikely. " Adolescence" skyrocketed in popularity since its debut in March and is currently Netflix's third most-watched English-language show of all time, behind season one of "Wednesday" and season four of "Stranger Things." Although it was labeled as a limited series, Brad Pitt's production company, Plan B Entertainment, is reportedly interested in some form of a second season of "Adolescence" after the first season's success. Considering how well "Sirens" has performed on the streamer since its release, it wouldn't be surprising if the series didn't end up being limited after all. But for now, Netflix hasn't announced any further plans. Fahy told Variety that the show reaches a natural conclusion, but she could imagine a continuation. "I, for one, would love to know what happens to Michaela, where she goes," she said. "So I think it's definitely within the realm of possibility. We didn't talk about it on set, but I would love to do more." Metzler, for her part, told Glamour that questions about a second season mean that fans are invested in the characters. "I wrote the play 15 years ago," she said. "I've been thinking about them this whole time. I could write them until the day I die. I'd never say never, but could I do them justice in another season? I'd have to think about it." "The fact that so many people are asking is really encouraging," she added.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Actor Lauren Weedman Was Diagnosed With Bell's Palsy. Then, Hollywood Showed Up In The Most Unexpected Way.
Actor Lauren Weedman has depended on her lovely, expressive face to make a living in Hollywood for more than three decades. Weedman cracked audiences up in projects including 'Date Night,' 'Looking,' 'Will & Grace,' 'Arrested Development,' 'Euphoria,' 'Special' and 'Mom.' Recently, she's had recurring roles on Emmy-winning comedies 'Abbott Elementary' and 'Hacks.' Then, last August, the 56-year-old actor experienced severe facial paralysis. Weedman had developed Bell's palsy, which temporarily paralyzes the muscles on one side of the face. The exact cause of the condition is unknown, but Bell's palsy often stems from a viral infection that inflames the facial nerve. Stress can be a contributor. Her symptoms included complete freezing of the right side of her face, an inability to align her lips and smile normally, an inability to close her right eye, headache and general malaise. The paralysis began at the start of a three-week break from work. Weedman wasn't auditioning for new gigs. She was already employed, having shot two episodes of the new hourlong dark comedy 'Sirens,' which premiered May 22 on Netflix. 'The idea of sitting out and waiting for it to get better just was not an option,' Weedman wrote in a text to me. Some patients diagnosed with Bell's palsy experience drastic improvement in a few weeks. Many performers might've stayed silent about the condition, hoping to pick up where they left off once production resumed. Weedman knew she couldn't afford to wait out the symptoms. Not only because the single mom needed the money, but because she desperately wanted to remain part of that stellar 'Sirens' ensemble. Created by showrunner Molly Smith Metzler and based on her play 'Elemeno Pea,' the sexy, suspenseful, female-focused limited series stars Julianne Moore, Meghann Fahy, Milly Alcock, Kevin Bacon and Glenn Howerton. Weedman was cast as Patrice, the longtime chef of Moore's family. With three episodes left to shoot, that show had to go on. But without Weedman? Not if she had her say. 'I wanted to talk to [the 'Sirens' team] about it as soon as I could so I wouldn't be stressed the whole time,' the actor told me over Zoom from her home in Santa Monica, California. A video conference was scheduled between Weedman, Metzler and Quyen Tran, the director of Episodes 3 and 4. 'At that point, I had fallen in love with Lauren like everyone else had,' Metzler said in a phone interview. 'I just felt awful that she was going through something like that.' Grateful for Weedman's forthrightness — and struck by how candidly and hilariously she spoke about her symptoms — Metzler let the actor take the lead in making next steps. Whatever she needed, they'd make her performance for the series happen. 'We didn't even wanna conceive of the show without her in it,' Metzler said. '[Molly] was so kind … But it was really hard for me to think that I mattered,' Weedman said. Part of it was her Midwestern upbringing. The actor was born in Terre Haute, Indiana, then adopted and raised in Indianapolis. Mainly, Weedman was embarrassed. 'You don't make a big thing out of being hurt or sick,' Weedman said. So, she suggested they write Bell's palsy into her character's storyline. Metzler, surprised and impressed that Weedman was 'so, so game,' agreed. 'It's such a terrific character trait,' Metzler said, adding that the tortured, long-suffering Patrice is made more relatable and likable by uttering the line, 'Every summer, this happens; the stress of this job, my Bell's palsy is back.' This wasn't Weedman's first bout with Bell's palsy. She'd had a mild case while pregnant with her son, Leo, now 15, but it resolved relatively swiftly. This felt dreadfully different. By the time she returned to set, Weedman had gone through steroid and antiviral therapy, was receiving acupuncture and had quit drinking to reduce inflammation. At night, she'd tape her right eye shut to keep it from drying out. While she feared her performance would suffer, it didn't. But the fatigue and pain were unrelenting, and the prospect of watching herself made Weedman cringe. 'If it serves the character, I don't care if I look heavy or fat or bad or whatever,' she declared. 'But this one was a new level of [vanity].' Once 'Sirens' wrapped, Weedman still wasn't out of the woods. She'd long ago booked two recurring guest spots: 'Abbott Elementary,' where she plays Kristin Marie Schemmenti, the snarky sister of Melissa (Lisa Ann Walter), and 'Hacks,' where she portrays feisty Las Vegas Mayor Jo Pezzimenti. In both, she took the same tack. 'Our first and foremost concern was her health, and whether she felt comfortable being on camera,' 'Hacks' creator, showrunner and director Lucia Aniello shared via email. 'When she said she wanted to shoot, we just went with it!' Quinta Brunson, creator and star of ABC's 'Abbott Elementary,' said she was 'really excited about the opportunity' to keep working with Weedman through the condition. 'The way I look at it, that is what normalizes any form of otherness,' Brunson said. 'Her dealing with it falls in line with who [Lauren] is. She just rolls with the punches and does her job.' Weedman's face has visibly improved since shooting 'Sirens,' 'Abbott' and 'Hacks,' but her neurologist recently cautioned it might take a full year for her to recover completely. She credits talent reps Christie Smith and Lindsay Cohen of Rise Management with recently helping her land a guest spot as a psychotherapist on the upcoming second season of Netflix's 'Nobody Wants This.' But she also said she lost parts on at least two series — a new comedy, an Emmy-nominated drama — due to not yet having regained full control of her facial features. Weedman is at peace with all of it because she's 'so happy' she was able to keep working. And so, she marches on, buoyed by the unconditional support of her teen son, who told her, 'Mom, it's no big deal. This is your Bell's palsy era, that's all.'
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Netflix's The Gentlemen Reveals Full Season 2 Cast as Filming Begins in UK
The Gentlemen is locked and loaded for a new season, now filming in the UK, Netflix announced on Wednesday. A TVLine 'Hidden Gem' of 2024, the action-comedy was described thusly by our Rebecca Luther: 'If you've found yourself tiring of TV's endless string of dour crime dramas, consider The Gentlemen a perfect palate cleanser. The stakes get high, but [it] refuses to take itself too seriously.' More from TVLine Did Sirens' Michaela Murder Peter's Ex-Wife? Plus, More Finale Revelations Casting News: Josh Hartnett's Netflix Series, Wilson Bethel's Apple Gig and More Dave Nemetz Reviews Sirens: Netflix's Jumbled Soap Takes Us on a Luxury Trip to Nowhere - Now, YOU Grade It! The Gentlemen's renewal was announced in August 2024, with Netflix confirming that Theo James, Kaya Scodelario and Daniel Ings would be reprising their roles as aristocrat Eddie Horniman, drug empire heiress Susie Glass, and Eddie's cocaine-addicted older brother Freddy. Season 2 will also see the return of Ray Winstone as Susie's father Bobby; Joely Richardson as Eddie's mother Sabrina, the Duchess of Halstead; Vinnie Jones as Halstead Manor's longtime gamekeeper, Geoffrey; Jasmine Blackborow as Eddie's younger sister Lady Charlotte 'Charly' Horniman; Michael Vu as weed grower Jimmy Chang; Harry Goodwins as Susie's brother, boxer Jack Glass; Ruby Sear as mystery woman Gabrielle; Pearce Quigley as Scouse crime family boss John 'The Gospel' Dixon; and Giancarlo Esposito as American billionaire Stanley Johnston. New for Season 2 are Hugh Bonneville, Benjamin Clementine, Benedetta Porcaroli, Michele Morrone, Sergio Castellito, Amra Mallassi, Tyler Conti, British professional boxer Chris Eubank Jr., and TV host/DJ Maya Jama. As Season 2 opens (premiere date TBA), 'It's been one year since Eddie and Susie joined forces to work together in Bobby's criminal empire overseas. As they drive to expand their enterprise, the decisions Bobby is making seem to be increasingly unsound. Now Eddie and Susie must decide whether to take action or risk losing it all, but unfettered ambition never ends well….' Says series creator Guy Ritchie, 'I am delighted to return to set for Season 2 of The Gentlemen. This chapter sees a deliberate expansion, both geographically and thematically, as we journey from the English countryside to the Italian lakes. Eddie and Susie find themselves navigating an increasingly volatile empire as they're besieged on all fronts by an influx of enigmatic new players. The stakes are heightened, the power dynamics are more precarious, and I'm thrilled to be collaborating once again with this exceptional cast and crew.' 13 Hidden Gems You May Have Missed in 2024 View List Best of TVLine Yellowjackets Mysteries: An Up-to-Date List of the Series' Biggest Questions (and Answers?) The Emmys' Most Memorable Moments: Laughter, Tears, Historical Wins, 'The Big One' and More 'Missing' Shows, Found! The Latest on Severance, Holey Moley, Poker Face, YOU, Primo, Transplant and 25+ Others
