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Gizmodo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
‘The Wheel of Time' Was a Damn Good Show
Three seasons—and then an abrupt end. It's a routine genre fans are unfortunately familiar with. There are still people out there (me included) holding out hope for fourth seasons of The Orville and Hannibal. The latest three-season casualty is Prime Video's The Wheel of Time. Sometimes a miracle happens and another platform steps in; remember when Lucifer made three seasons at Fox, then got resurrected for three more at Netflix? Or when The Expanse was rescued from the Syfy scrap heap after its third season, and got a few more notches on its belt from Amazon? Amazon's the one doing the scrapping this time around: The Wheel of Time fans learned last week that the fantasy show will not be returning for a fourth season. Pickup elsewhere seems like a grim prospect, no matter how passionate the online outcry, mostly because the reason given for its cancellation was how much it cost to produce—a price tag that apparently wasn't justified by its viewership numbers. That's a true shame, because The Wheel of Time was a damn good show. Its budget wasn't as lavish as Prime Video's other big fantasy series—The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, which is currently working on its own third season—but it definitely wasn't made on the cheap. It had a large cast headed up by Rosamund Pike as Moiraine Damodred; though the rest of the main characters were mostly played by up-and-comers, more familiar faces (Sophie Okonedo, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Olivia Williams, Lindsay Duncan, Hayley Mills) were sprinkled through the supporting cast. Across the board the performances were excellent; special shout-out to Madeleine Madden for Egwene's absolutely searing season-two arc, though. Its production values were outstanding; on a show filled with a vast array of cultures across diverse landscapes—deserts, forests, cities, villages, throne rooms, dungeons, freaky in-between worlds—it did a striking job creating tones and textures that felt distinct and detailed. The costumes were particularly notable in this regard. I'm still haunted by the spooky outfits, especially the gold mouth shields, forced onto the magic-wielding 'damane' slaves in season two. The special effects were also impressive, bringing both practical creatures (Loial the Ogier, brought to life by Hammed Animashaun in heavy prosthetics, being particularly emotive) and mystical magic 'weaves' to the screen. Much like Lord of the Rings, The Wheel of Time is based on a beloved book series, though as popular as Robert Jordan's work is, it's definitely not part of mainstream culture the same way JRR Tolkien's work is. There's no Oscar-winning trilogy of epic movies for The Wheel of Time, for one thing. Though there had been games (both video and tabletop) based on The Wheel of Time in the past, the TV adaptation drew in a lot of newcomers along with seasoned readers, and the show was careful to remain accessible for the former while also dotting in winks and Easter eggs for the latter. The worldbuilding was high-quality, and if the story felt familiar and trope-y at times—it's kind of Tolkien meets Game of Thrones but with more women-powered magic, and an end-of-the-world prophecy that's both cyclical and inevitable—the series, broken into eight-part seasons of episodes that ran at or just under an hour, was still propulsive and enjoyable. The tone was overall fairly serious (as we mentioned, the fate of the world is at stake here!), and many of its storylines dealt with darker themes of trauma and grief, as well as the frustration of being powerless to control one's fate, especially in a world where prophecies are seen as both irrefutable and subject to interpretation, depending on who you ask. But The Wheel of Time also made room for humor, romance, music, and even some delightfully campy moments, especially as the show found its footing in seasons two and three. Perhaps the biggest bummer about the show's cancellation is that it was clearly building toward something very big. The Wheel of Time's 'Last Battle' is, as implied, the showdown at the end of days between the Dragon Reborn, the reincarnated chosen one, and a villain so sinister he's known only as the 'Dark One,' with lieutenants running around among humankind known as 'Darkfriends' (if they're mortal) and 'Forsaken' (if they're not). The Last Battle was teased throughout all the show's seasons, with the character of Rand learning in season one that he was the Dragon Reborn. Season two followed him as he came to terms with that awful yet awesome responsibility, compounded by the known fact that in this world, men with magical abilities will inevitably go insane. And season three saw him begin to prepare, strengthening his control over his burgeoning powers while building an army of supporters. Every other character, without exception, is also invested in the Last Battle in some way. They're on different sides and serve different purposes, but they're all counting down to it just the same. It is the defining event of the story. Everyone knows it's coming. And Amazon pulled the plug before the show got there. This is all the more crushing because Wheel of Time series creator Rafe Judkins had high hopes that Amazon would grant the space to tell 'the whole story,' as he explained to io9 in an interview ahead of season three. There are over a dozen books in the Jordan series, so you can't imagine he meant that Wheel of Time would continue for a decade. But he definitely had plans for a fourth and maybe a fifth season, and you can tell that season three was plotted accordingly. While fan campaigns are now underway to save Wheel of Time (read more about that on Nerdist), maybe the best case scenario would be a made-for-Amazon movie. Another Prime Video show that's meeting an early end for entirely different reasons—Good Omens—is getting a send-off movie in place of a third season, wrapping up that show's own tantalizing cliffhangers. With a fourth season apparently relegated forever to Tel'aran'rhiod, The Wheel of Time's slippery dream world, would it be too much to ask for, say, one more jumbo-sized episode to craft a satisfying conclusion? Especially for fans who invested time and emotions into the three existing seasons? Of course it would be. At least you can always pick up Jordan's books and find out how the author envisioned the Last Battle—then stick around to dive deeper into the world the show, after just three seasons, has sadly left behind.
Vancouver Sun
06-05-2025
- Business
- Vancouver Sun
Trump plans to sit down with film industry to discuss tariffs: ‘I want to make sure they're happy'
Donald Trump says that that he will meet with moviemakers and studio heads to discuss his plan to slap 100% tariffs on foreign-made films. 'I'm not looking to hurt the industry; I want to help the industry,' he said, according to CNBC . 'We're going to meet with the industry. I want to make sure they're happy with it, because we're all about jobs,' Trump told reporters at the Oval Office. 'Hollywood doesn't do very much of that business. They have the nice sign and everything's good, but they don't do very much.' In a post to his Truth Social page Sunday evening, Trump said he plans to impose a 100% tariff on foreign-made Hollywood movies , a move that would rock Canada's multibillion-dollar film and television industry. Get top headlines and gossip from the world of celebrity and entertainment. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sun Spots will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. 'The Movie Industry in America is DYING a very fast death. Other Countries are offering all sorts of incentives to draw our filmmakers and studios away from the United States. Hollywood, and many other areas within the U.S.A., are being devastated,' Trump wrote. Calling foreign film production 'a National Security threat,' Trump declared that films shot outside of the U.S. are a form of 'messaging and propaganda!' Trump provided no details on how his tariffs would be implemented, but U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick responded to the president's bombshell announcement by saying, 'We're on it.' The tariff idea, CNBC reported, came from actor Jon Voight, who Trump tapped, along with Sylvester Stallone and Mel Gibson, to help devise a plan to bring business back to Hollywood. Trump downplayed the idea that taxing movies shot outside the U.S. was a certainty. Meanwhile, Voight tried to soften Trump's fiery social media post that sent the stocks of entertainment companies tumbling Monday. 'We look forward to working with the administration, the unions, studios, and streamers to help form a plan to keep our industry healthy and bring more productions back to America,' Voight said in a statement. 'By creating the right environment through smart incentives, updated policies, and much-needed support, we can ensure that American production companies thrive, more jobs stay here at home, and Hollywood once again leads the world in creativity and innovation,' he added. Plan to rescue Hollywood White House spokesman Kush Desai said said in a statement that 'no final decisions on foreign film tariffs have been made.' Still, many Hollywood projects are shot in Canada, with Amazon-MGM ( The Boys , The Expanse , Reacher and The Handmaid's Tale ), Paramount ( Star Trek ) and Netflix ( The Umbrella Academy, Fubar and Ginny & Georgia ) utilizing studios in Toronto. In Ontario, m ajor Hollywood studios and streamers helped lift business in the province to the tune of $3.15 billion in 2022 with more than 35,000 people employed in business. In 2023, Ontario's film and television industry contributed $1.8 billion to the provincial economy. But in an interview with Postmedia, Canadian producer Robert Lantos, who has worked with David Cronenberg, Istvan Szabo and Atom Egoyan, among others, downplayed Trump's rhetoric saying his ultimatum is 'much ado about nothing.' 'First of all, administering it would be virtually impossible to measure,' Lantos said in a phone interview. 'What would you base the tariff on since the (filming is taking place) outside the U.S. but most of it is done by Americans? The directors, actors, department heads, most of them are Americans. So are you having tariffs on Americans? … It's a case of a dog barking. I don't think it will have the slightest impact.' Meanwhile, Noah Segal, the co-president of Canadian distributor Elevation Pictures, added that he can't see how any sort of tariff could be applied and that implementing one would have a 'major impact on the production services' but would also be 'impossible to administer.' 'Service businesses and IP businesses are almost impossible to tariff because of the nature of the product. It's not like a plastic toy that's manufactured and shipped on a boat. It's completely different,' he said in a phone interview Tuesday. 'What they're suggesting is a tariff on all things made up here,' he continued. 'Most films are not made in the United States, so therefore there would be a tariff on those films … It would add to their costs and the price for those movies to release into the marketplace would go up. All it would do would just increase the cost (to buy) a movie and that cost would be passed on to the consumers, either as a higher price for streamers or we'd have to make more money in theatres.' A tariff, Segal believes, could lead to less movies being made. 'Not only would there be less movies made, because the margins are low as it is … distributors around the world would release less because they wouldn't be able to afford this extra costs, which no one budgeted for.' Still, Segal calls Trump's desire to see more productions shoot in the U.S. a 'reasonable idea.' 'He has recognized that American production of films has decreased dramatically … I can see what he's trying to do,' he said. 'But what he has to focus on is coming up with some sort of value proposition to bring back producing films in the United States … I suspect when the smoke clears, he'll come up with some other way to attract business back to the United States.' Elevation also produces its own films, which it then sells worldwide. Segal thinks there's an opportunity for Canadian creatives to make 'commercial Canadian fare.' 'Films like Paw Patrol , Infinity Pool and BlackBerry , which (Elevation) made, we can make those as Canadians. If he's going to put up a border, it's not about pushing back in terms of tariff wars. It'll just be an opportunity to make great content,' he said. mdaniell@
See - Sada Elbalad
27-03-2025
- Entertainment
- See - Sada Elbalad
'Malcolm in the Middle" Revival Cast Revealed
Yara Sameh The 'Malcolm in the Middle' revival is bringing back some familiar faces and introducing a few new ones — and making one major casting change. Christopher Masterson and Justin Berfield are returning for the Disney+ update of the classic sitcom, reprising the roles of Francis and Reese, respectively. However, Erik Per Sullivan will officially not be returning as Dewey. Instead, Caleb Ellsworth-Clark ('Fargo,' 'The Expanse') will take over the role for the four-episode revival from Disney Branded Television. In addition, Anthony Timpano ('Riverdale,' 'Nancy Drew'), Vaughan Murrae ('Before I Change My Mind,' 'The Way Home'), and Keeley Karsten ('The Fabelmans,' 'Hunters') will also star. Timpano will play Malcolm's youngest brother, Jamie, while Murrae will play Malcolm's youngest sibling, Kelly. Karsten will play Malcolm's daughter, Leah. Frankie Muniz is returning in the title role, with Bryan Cranston and Jane Kaczmarek set play parents Hal and Lois once again. Variety also exclusively reported that Kiana Madeira will star as Tristan, Malcolm's girlfriend. Jamie was introduced in the fourth season of 'Malcolm in the Middle,' while Kelly is a new character whose presence was hinted at in the series finale when it was revealed Hal and Lois were expecting a sixth child. Kelly is further described as 'the youngest child of Lois and Hal, who is self-sufficient, gets good grades and already wiser than most of the family.' Leah is said to be 'the daughter of Malcolm and has the same sarcastic humor, same impulsiveness and the same frighteningly high intelligence as him, but she's far more sensitive and emotional.' Per Sullivan not returning to the series is not surprising, given that he largely gave up acting following the conclusion of 'Malcolm in the Middle' in 2006. His last onscreen credit came in 2010 with the feature 'Twelve.' He has also been absent from past cast reunions of the series over the years. 'Malcolm in the Middle' is set to begin production in the coming weeks in Vancouver. The official logline for the new episodes states, 'Malcolm and his daughter are drawn into the family's chaos when Hal and Lois demand his presence for their 40th wedding anniversary party.' Linwod Boomer created the original series and returns as writer and executive producer on the revival. Cranston, Tracy Katsky of KatCo, Gail Berman and New Regency's Arnon Milchan, Yariv Milchan and Natalie Lehmann are executive producers. Ken Kwapis will direct all four episodes and executive produce. Jimmy Simons and Laura Delahaye are co-executive producers. The limited series is produced by 20th Television and New Regency. read more New Tourism Route To Launch in Old Cairo Ahmed El Sakka-Led Play 'Sayidati Al Jamila' to Be Staged in KSA on Dec. 6 Mandy Moore Joins Season 2 of "Dr. Death" Anthology Series Don't Miss These Movies at 44th Cairo Int'l Film Festival Today Amr Diab to Headline KSA's MDLBEAST Soundstorm 2022 Festival Arts & Culture Mai Omar Stuns in Latest Instagram Photos Arts & Culture "The Flash" to End with Season 9 Arts & Culture Ministry of Culture Organizes four day Children's Film Festival Arts & Culture Canadian PM wishes Muslims Eid-al-Adha News Egypt confirms denial of airspace access to US B-52 bombers News Ayat Khaddoura's Final Video Captures Bombardment of Beit Lahia News Australia Fines Telegram $600,000 Over Terrorism, Child Abuse Content Lifestyle Pistachio and Raspberry Cheesecake Domes Recipe Videos & Features Bouchra Dahlab Crowned Miss Arab World 2025 .. Reem Ganzoury Wins Miss Arab Africa Title (VIDEO) News Ireland Replaces Former Israeli Embassy with Palestinian Museum News Israeli PM Diagnosed with Stage 3 Prostate Cancer Lifestyle Maguy Farah Reveals 2025 Expectations for Pisces News Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly Inaugurates Two Indian Companies Sports Neymar Announced for Brazil's Preliminary List for 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers
Fox News
26-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
‘Malcolm in the Middle' revival will be missing key actor who ditched Hollywood
"Malcolm in the Middle" is set for a four-episode revival on Disney+ with all but one of the original cast returning. In December, the streaming service announced the news with stars Frankie Muniz, Bryan Cranston and Jane Kaczmarek on social media. It was recently announced, per Variety, that Christopher Masterson and Justin Berfield, who played Muniz's brothers Francis and Reese, respectively, on the show, will also be returning. However, Erik Per Sullivan, who played youngest brother Dewey, will not be back for the series. According to the outlet, his role will be played by Caleb Ellsworth-Clark, who had roles in "Fargo" and "The Expanse." Per Sullivan has been absent from Hollywood for 15 years, with his last credited role in the 2010 film "Twelve." The actor has also skipped out on "Malcolm in the Middle" reunions over the years. Kaczmarek, who played mom Lois on the hit sitcom, spoke about Per Sullivan in a 2024 interview with Malcolm France, saying he is "well, he's very, very well." "He wasn't interested in acting at all. He goes to school at a very, very, very prestigious American university that he's asked us all to be quiet about," she continued, saying he is doing graduate work in Victorian literature. She added that she admired his decision, explaining, "I think so many people think being in show business is just the greatest thing in the world, and it's not for everybody." "He's a very grateful kid, for Dewey," Kaczmarek said. "Malcolm in the Middle" originally ran on Fox for seven seasons from 2000 to 2006, earning 33 Emmy nominations, including two wins for the late Cloris Leachman as best guest actress in a comedy and two wins each for best directing and best writing for a comedy. The new episodes will feature, according to the official logline shared with Variety, "Malcolm (Muniz) and his daughter are drawn into the family's chaos when Hal (Cranston) and Lois (Kaczmarek) demand his presence for their 40th wedding anniversary party." No release date has been announced. Muniz told E! News in February, "I'm so excited. I think Brian and I first started talking at a dinner that we had in 2015. And the fact that now, 10 years later, 25 years after the show started, it's going to happen—I'm really excited. I think people are going to be thrilled to see everybody and the ideas that they've come up with." WATCH: FRANKIE MUNIZ EXPLAINS WHY HE CALLED LA A 'HELL HOLE' He added, "Because that was a big thing for me, too, is like the possibilities are endless on what Malcolm and his family could be up to. I've read the scripts, so I know. And I think people are going to be pretty excited."
Express Tribune
26-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Christopher Masterson, Justin Berfield return in ‘Malcolm in the Middle' revival, Dewey recast with new actor
Christopher Masterson, Justin Berfield return in 'Malcolm in the Middle' revival, Dewey recast with new actor The highly anticipated Malcolm in the Middle revival on Disney+ has officially confirmed the return of original stars Christopher Masterson and Justin Berfield, reprising their roles as Francis and Reese. While fans will welcome these familiar faces, one notable change is the recasting of Dewey. Caleb Ellsworth-Clark, known for roles in Fargo and The Expanse, steps into the role, replacing Erik Per Sullivan, who has retired from acting since the series ended in 2006. Joining the cast are Anthony Timpano as Jamie, Malcolm's youngest brother first introduced in season four, and Vaughan Murrae as Kelly, the previously hinted-at sixth child of Hal and Lois. Keeley Karsten will portray Leah, Malcolm's daughter, inheriting his signature sarcastic wit and genius intellect, though with a more emotionally aware twist. Frankie Muniz returns as the titular Malcolm, alongside Bryan Cranston and Jane Kaczmarek as Hal and Lois. Kiana Madeira also joins as Tristan, Malcolm's girlfriend. Production is set to begin in Vancouver within weeks. The revival will span four episodes, focusing on the family's chaotic reunion for Hal and Lois' 40th wedding anniversary. Creator Linwood Boomer returns as writer and executive producer, with direction by Ken Kwapis. The series is produced by 20th Television and New Regency.
