Tag Archives: regina king

Regina King to Direct Bitter Root Based on the Comic Series by David F. Walker, Sanford Greene, and Chuck Brown

Bitter Root #1

Bitter Root has found its director in Regina King. The film is based on the comic series created by David F. Walker, Sanford Greene, and Chuck Brown. Published by Image Comics, the film is being released by Legendary.

King will produce along with Reina King via their Royal Ties banner, along with Ryan Coogler, Zinzi Coogler, and Sev Ohanian. Walker, Greene, Brown, and Drapetomedia’s Sean Owolo will executive produce.

The film’s draft is currently being rewritten by Bryan Edward Hill.

Set in 1924 during the vibrant Harlem Renaissance, the story focuses on a fracture family of once-great monster hunters. They face an evil that has decended upon New York City. The family must overcome the wounds of their past if they hope to stop an invasion.

The series is well praised receiving nominations for a 2019 Eisner Award for “Best New Series” and 2019 Ringo award for “Best Series”.

Watchmen Makes History Winning the Emmy for Limited Series

Emmy

The winners for the 72nd Emmy Awards were announced today. The ceremony became a virtual event this year due to COVID-19 doing an impressive job of balancing the jokes, the seriousness, and rotating through so many video feeds.

The 72nd Emmy Awards were hosted by Jimmy Kimmel who also served as executive producer.

Watchmen is one of the most nominated shows of the year with 26 nominations which also saw recognition for The Mandalorian as well. Watchmen made history as the first comic adaptation to win the top prize of best “Limited Series.”

Check out below for how the two shows did, winners will be marked as such and in bold.

Drama Series

“Better Call Saul” (AMC)
“The Crown” (Netflix)
“The Handmaid’s Tale” (Hulu)
“Killing Eve” (BBC America/AMC)
“The Mandalorian” (Disney Plus)
“Ozark” (Netflix)
“Stranger Things” (Netflix)
Winnter – “Succession” (HBO)

Limited Series

“Little Fires Everywhere” (Hulu)
“Mrs. America” (Hulu)
“Unbelievable” (Netflix)
“Unorthodox” (Netflix)
Winner – “Watchmen” (HBO)

Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie

Jeremy Irons (“Watchmen”)
Hugh Jackman (“Bad Education”)
Paul Mescal (“Normal People”)
Jeremy Pope (“Hollywood”)
Winner – Mark Ruffalo (“I Know This Much Is True”)

Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie

Cate Blanchett (“Mrs. America”)
Shira Haas (“Unorthodox”)
Winner – Regina King (“Watchmen”)
Octavia Spencer (“Self Made”)
Kerry Washington (“Little Fires Everywhere”)

Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie

Dylan McDermott (“Hollywood”)
Jim Parsons (“Hollywood”)
Tituss Burgess (“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend”)
Winner – Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (“Watchmen”)
Jovan Adepo (“Watchmen”)
Louis Gossett Jr. (“Watchmen”)

Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie

  • Holland Taylor (“Hollywood”)
  • Winner – Uzo Aduba (“Mrs. America”)
  • Margo Martindale (“Mrs. America”)
  • Tracey Ullman (“Mrs. America”)
  • Toni Collette (“Unbelievable”)
  • Jean Smart (“Watchmen”)

Outstanding Cinematography For A Limited Series Or Movie – 2020

Outstanding Fantasy/Sci-Fi Costumes – 2020

  • Winner – Sharen Davis, Costume Designer Valerie Zielonka, Costume Supervisor (“Watchmen”)

Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing For A Limited Series Or Movie – 2020

  • Winner – Henk Van Eeghen, ACE, Editor (“Watchmen”)

Outstanding Sound Mixing For A Limited Series Or Movie – 2020

  • Winner – Douglas Axtell, Production Mixer, Joe DeAngelis, Re-Recording Mixer, Chris Carpenter, Re-Recording Mixer (“Watchmen”)

Outstanding Music Composition For A Limited Series, Movie Or Special (Original Dramatic Score) – 2020

  • Winner – Trent Reznor, Music by, Atticus Ross, Music by (“Watchmen”)

Outstanding Main Title Design – 2020

  • Paul Mitchell, Creative Director, Olga Midlenko, Art Director, Maciek Sokalski, Lead Compositor, Gabriel Perez, Animator, Benjamin Woodlock, Designer (“The Watchmen”)

Outstanding Casting For A Limited Series, Movie Or Special – 2020

  • Winner – Victoria Thomas, CSA, Casting by, Meagan Lewis, CSA, Location Casting

Outstanding Sound Editing For A Limited Series, Movie Or Special – 2020

  • Winner – Brad North, Supervising Sound Editor, Harry Cohen, Sound Designer, Jordan Wilby, Sound Effects Editor, Tiffany S. Griffith, Dialogue Editor, Antony Zeller, Foley Editor, A.J. Shapiro, Foley Editor, Sally Boldt, Music Editor, Zane Bruce, Foley Artist, Lindsay Pepper, Foley Artist

Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance – 2020

  • Taika Waititi, as IG-11 (“The Mandalorian”)

Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing For A Drama Series – 2020

  • Dana E. Glauberman, ACE, Editor, Dylan Firshein, Additional Editor (“The Mandalorian”)

Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing For A Drama Series – 2020

  • Jeff Seibenick, Editor (“The Mandalorian”)

Outstanding Guest Actor In A Drama Series – 2020

  • Giancarlo Esposito, as Moff Gideon (“The Mandalorian”)

Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup For A Series, Limited Series, Movie Or Special – 2020

  • Brian Sipe, Department Head Makeup Artist, Alexei Dmitriew, Key Makeup Artist, Carlton Coleman, Makeup Artist, Samantha Ward, Makeup Artist, Scott Stoddard, Makeup Artist, Mike Ornelaz, Makeup Artist, Sabrina Castro, Makeup Artist, Scott Patton, Prosthetic Designer (“The Mandalorian”)

Outstanding Fantasy/Sci-Fi Costumes – 2020

  • Joseph Porro, Costume Designer, Julie Robar, Costume Supervisor, Giovanna Ottobre-Melton, Assistant Costume Designer, Lauren Silvestri, Assistant Costume Designer (“The Mandalorian”)
  • Winner – Sharen Davis, Costume Designer, Valerie Zielonka, Costume Supervisor (“Watchmen”)

Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing For A Drama Series – 2020

  • Andrew S. Eisen, ACE, Editor (“The Mandalorian”)

Outstanding Special Visual Effects – 2020

  • Winner – Richard Bluff, VFX Supervisor, Jason Porter, VFX Supervisor, Abbigail Keller, VFX Producer, Hayden Jones, VFX Supervisor, Hal Hickel, Animation Supervisor, Roy Cancino, Special Effects Supervisor, John Rosengrant, Supervisor, Enrico Damm, Environment Supervisor, Landis Fields, Virtual Production Visualization Supervisor (“The Mandalorian”)

Outstanding Cinematography For A Single-Camera Series (Half-Hour) – 2020

  • Winner – Greig Fraser, ASC, ACS, Director of Photography, Baz Idoine, Director of Photography (“The Mandalorian”)

Outstanding Sound Mixing For A Comedy Or Drama Series (Half-Hour) And Animation – 2020

  • Winner – Shawn Holden, Production Mixer, Bonnie Wild, Re-Recording Mixer, Chris Fogel, Scoring Mixer (“The Mandalorian”)

Outstanding Sound Editing For A Comedy Or Drama Series (Half-Hour) And Animation – 2020

  • Winner – David Acord, Co-Supervising Sound Editor/Sound Designer, Matthew Wood, Co-Supervising Sound Editor, Bonnie Wild, Sound Effects Editor, James Spencer, Dialogue Editor, Richard Quinn, ADR Editor, Richard Gould, Foley Editor, Stephanie McNally, Music Editor, Ryan Rubin, Music Editor, Ronni Brown, Foley Artist, Jana Vance, Foley Artist (“The Mandalorian”)

Outstanding Production Design For A Narrative Program (Half-Hour) – 2020

  • Winner – Andrew L. Jones, Production Designer, Jeff Wisniewski, Art Director, Amanda Serino, Set Decorator (“The Mandalorian”)

Outstanding Music Composition For A Series (Original Dramatic Score) – 2020

  • Winner – Ludwig Göransson, Composer (“The Mandalorian”)

Outstanding Stunt Coordination For A Drama Series, Limited Series Or Movie – 2020

  • Winner – Ryan Watson, Stunt Coordinator (“The Mandalorian”)

OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A LIMITED SERIES, MOVIE OR DRAMATIC SPECIAL

  • Mrs. America • Shirley
    FX Networks • FX Productions
    Tanya Barfield, Written by
  • Normal People • Episode 3
    Hulu • Hulu Originals in association with BBC
    Sally Rooney, Written by
    Alice Birch, Written by
  • Unbelievable • Episode 1
    Netflix • CBS Television Studios
    Susannah Grant, Teleplay by
    Michael Chabon, Teleplay by
    Ayelet Waldman, Teleplay by
  • Unorthodox • Part 1
    Netflix • Studio Airlift and RealFilm
    Anna Winger, Written by
  • Winner – Watchmen • This Extraordinary Being
    HBO • HBO Entertainment in association with White Rabbit, Paramount Television, Warner Bros. Television & DC Comics
    Damon Lindelof, Written by
    Cord Jefferson, Written by

OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A LIMITED SERIES, MOVIE OR DRAMATIC SPECIAL

  • Little Fires Everywhere • Find A Way
    Hulu • ABC Signature Studios / Hello Sunshine
    Lynn Shelton, Directed by
  • Normal People • Episode 5
    Hulu • Hulu Originals in association with BBC
    Lenny Abrahamson, Directed by
  • Winner – Unorthodox • Netflix • Studio Airlift and RealFilm
    Maria Schrader, Directed by
  • Watchmen • It’s Summer And We’re Running Out Of Ice
    HBO • HBO Entertainment in association with White Rabbit, Paramount Television, Warner Bros. Television & DC Comics
    Nicole Kassell, Directed by
  • Watchmen • Little Fear Of Lightning
    HBO • HBO Entertainment in association with White Rabbit, Paramount Television, Warner Bros. Television & DC Comics
    Steph Green, Directed by
  • Watchmen • This Extraordinary Being
    HBO • HBO Entertainment in association with White Rabbit, Paramount Television, Warner Bros. Television & DC Comics
    Stephen Williams, Directed by

Watchmen Leads Emmy Nominations While The Mandalorian Gets Some Love

Emmy

The nominations for the 72nd Emmy Awards were announced today. The ceremony became a virtual event this year due to COVID-19.

The 72nd Emmy Awards will be hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, who will also serve as executive producer. The show will be broadcast at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on Sept. 20 on ABC.

Watchmen is one of the most nominated shows of the year which also saw recognition for The Mandalorian as well.

Check out below for the entire nomation list and we’ve highlighted the “comic relevant” nominations as well.

Drama Series

“Better Call Saul” (AMC)
“The Crown” (Netflix)
“The Handmaid’s Tale” (Hulu)
“Killing Eve” (BBC America/AMC)
“The Mandalorian” (Disney Plus)
“Ozark” (Netflix)
“Stranger Things” (Netflix)
“Succession” (HBO)

Comedy Series

“Curb Your Enthusiasm” (HBO)
“Dead to Me” (Netflix)
“The Good Place” (NBC)
“Insecure” (HBO)
“The Kominsky Method” (Netflix)
“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” (Amazon Prime Video)
“Schitt’s Creek” (Pop TV)
“What We Do in the Shadows” (FX)

Limited Series

“Little Fires Everywhere” (Hulu)
“Mrs. America” (Hulu)
“Unbelievable” (Netflix)
“Unorthodox” (Netflix)
“Watchmen” (HBO)

Lead Actor in a Drama Series

Jason Bateman (“Ozark”)
Sterling K. Brown (“This Is Us”)
Steve Carell (“The Morning Show”)
Brian Cox (“Succession”)
Billy Porter (“Pose”)
Jeremy Strong (“Succession”)

Lead Actress in a Drama Series

Jennifer Aniston (“The Morning Show”)
Olivia Colman (“The Crown”)
Jodie Comer (“Killing Eve”)
Laura Linney (“Ozark”)
Sandra Oh (“Killing Eve”)
Zendaya (“Euphoria”)

Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

Anthony Anderson (“Black-ish”)
Don Cheadle (“Black Monday”)
Ted Danson (“The Good Place”)
Michael Douglas (“The Kominsky Method”)
Eugene Levy (“Schitt’s Creek”)
Ramy Youssef (“Ramy”)

Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

Christina Applegate (“Dead to Me”)
Rachel Brosnahan (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”)
Linda Cardellini (“Dead to Me”)
Catherine O’Hara (“Schitt’s Creek”)
Issa Rae (“Insecure”)
Tracee Ellis Ross (“Black-ish”)

Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie

Jeremy Irons (“Watchmen”)
Hugh Jackman (“Bad Education”)
Paul Mescal (“Normal People”)
Jeremy Pope (“Hollywood”)
Mark Ruffalo (“I Know This Much Is True”)

Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie

Cate Blanchett (“Mrs. America”)
Shira Haas (“Unorthodox”)
Regina King (“Watchmen”)
Octavia Spencer (“Self Made”)
Kerry Washington (“Little Fires Everywhere”)

Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

Giancarlo Esposito (“Better Call Saul”)
Bradley Whitford (“The Handmaid’s Tale”)
Billy Crudup (“The Morning Show”)
Mark Duplass (“The Morning Show”)
Nicholas Braun (“Succession”)
Kieran Culkin (“Succession”)
Matthew Macfadyen (“Succession”)
Jeffrey Wright (“Westworld”)

Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

Laura Dern (“Big Little Lies”)
Meryl Streep (“Big Little Lies”)
Helena Bonham Carter (“The Crown”)
Samira Wiley (“The Handmaid’s Tale”)
Fiona Shaw (“Killing Eve”)
Julia Garner (“Ozark”)
Sarah Snook (“Succession”)
Thandie Newton (“Westworld”)

Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

Andre Braugher (“Brooklyn Nine-Nine”)
William Jackson Harper (“The Good Place”)
Alan Arkin (“The Kominsky Method”)
Sterling K. Brown (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”)
Tony Shalhoub (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”)
Mahershala Ali (“Ramy”)
Kenan Thompson (“Saturday Night Live”)
Dan Levy (“Schitt’s Creek”)

Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

Betty Gilpin (“GLOW”)
D’Arcy Carden (“The Good Place”)
Yvonne Orji (“Insecure”)
Alex Borstein (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”)
Marin Hinkle (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”)
Kate McKinnon (“Saturday Night Live”)
Cecily Strong (“Saturday Night Live”)
Annie Murphy (“Schitt’s Creek”)

Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie

Dylan McDermott (“Hollywood”)
Jim Parsons (“Hollywood”)
Tituss Burgess (“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend”)
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (“Watchmen”)
Jovan Adepo (“Watchmen”)
Louis Gossett Jr. (“Watchmen”)

Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie

Holland Taylor (“Hollywood”)
Uzo Aduba (“Mrs. America”)
Margo Martindale (“Mrs. America”)
Tracey Ullman (“Mrs. America”)
Toni Collette (“Unbelievable”)
Jean Smart (“Watchmen”)

Reality Competition

“The Masked Singer” (FOX)
“Nailed It” (Netflix)
“RuPaul’s Drag Race” (VH1)
“Top Chef” (Bravo)
“The Voice” (NBC)

Variety Sketch Series

“A Black Lady Sketch Show” (HBO)
“Drunk History” (Comedy Central)
“Saturday Night Live” (NBC)

Variety Talk Series

“Daily Show with Trevor Noah” (Comedy Central)
“Full Frontal with Samantha Bee” (TBS)
“Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC)
“Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” (HBO)
“Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS)

TV Review: Watchmen S1E2 Martial Feats of Comanche Horsemanship

Watchmen

Watchmen‘s second episode focuses on the fallout of the murder of the police captain Judd Crawford played by Don Johnson. The episode goes beyond that but also builds on its history of Tulsa as well as Angela Abar’s.

We learn about Angela’s history with Judd and her history with Judd. That history becomes closer due to the White Night, a coordinated attack by the 7th Cavalry murdering police officers. Through that we also find out about Abar’s children, who are the children of her former partner who was killed during the attack. It’s an interesting scene as it explains why an officer would be so close to her superior and also why the police now hide their identities.

The series continues to entwine itself into the history of the Tulsa Race Riot. It becomes clear as to why Judd was murdered as Angela discovers what looks like a KKK outfit in Crawford’s closet. We also discover Louis Gossett, Jr.’s Will Reeves is indeed the young boy from Tulsa as well as his connection to Angela.

What makes Reeves interesting is his talking in riddles which has the viewer parsing everything he has to say. It forces you to listen to the dialogue and question everything said. It puts the viewer in a similar position with Angela as she attempts to discover the truth.

We also learn more about Veidt and his servants. It’s now much clearer as to what’s going on and the oddness of them. It shows Veidt is up to his old tricks and has lost his mind even more than before. Is he still the villain?

The episode has a lot of revelations and adds depth to each of its characters in small moments and big ones as well. It also deepens the mystery as we, like Angela Abar, discover each new piece of information. For each answer, there’s so many more questions presented.

Watchmen is proving itself to be every bit the worthy successor of the original comic material delivering a layered story and fleshed out history. This is much watch television. One that deserves multiple viewings.

Overall Rating: 8.5

TV Review: Watchmen S1E1 It’s Summer and We’re Running Out of Ice

Watchmen

Based on the classic graphic novel and comic series by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons‘, HBO‘s Watchmen is the latest attempt to build off what is considered one of the greatest comics of all time.

Opening with the Tulsa Race Riot of 1921, the series is an interesting exploration of fascism on all fronts. Taking place after the events of the classic comic series, police now don masks and personas in a battle for justice using less than just means. A white supremacist group who seem to worship Rorschach has risen.

While it’s clear who the bad guys are (unless there’s some twist yet to come), it’s an interesting spin to deliver a series where we’re supposed to emphasize with the police. An attempt is made towards the beginning when one is gunned down but from there it’s a series focused on bad all around. Bad and weird.

It all feels a bit overkill in the middle America this takes place. The police force has a version of Nite Owl’s Owlship which while used for a rather exciting sequence all feels a bit over the top.

And maybe that’s part of the point?

Like our local police force having military grade hardware in real life, it all feels like it’s an exaggeration of the broken down rule of law and order that exists today. Police kill innocent individuals going for the gun when other methods may due. Here, the police ignore civil rights and revel in military assaults.

But, what stands out the most of this debut episode is how much it nods to the source material while not relying on it. It’s set in the world of, but is its own thing. A man with a sign is in a scene as a character walks back. The sign reads the opposite of Rorschach’s doom and gloom of the comics. The squids falling from the sky is a reminder of how the comic ended.

Watchmen‘s debut episode also delivers some depth to each of the main characters. Don Johnson‘s Judd Crawford and Regina King‘s Angela Abar feel like the two characters the series revolves around. Despite their fascist tendencies, there’s enough there to like them as people and empathize with them. King’s Abar especially seems to have nice depth to the character and her husband Cal Abar, played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is one of the more fresh aspects of the show.

And then there’s that ending… So many questions. So much history playing out on the screen. Much like the comics, the story we witness is just one of a story that weaves in and out of other aspects.

While the title might be Watchmen, this show stands on its own delivering an intriguing adaptation of the source material. One that makes the viewer think and ponder right from wrong, good and evil.

Overall Rating: 8.5

Tick tock. HBO’s Watchmen Gets a First Official Teaser

Tick tock.

Watchmen debuts this fall on HBO. Created by Damon Lindelof, Watchmen is a modern-day reimagining of writer Alan Moore, artist Dave Gibbons, and colorist John Higgins‘ groundbreaking graphic novel about masked vigilantes. Starring Academy Award-winner Regina King, Don Johnson, Jeremy Irons, Jean Smart, Tim Blake Nelson, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and Louis Gossett Jr.

HBO’s Watchmen Get Its First Cast Members

The new Watchmen television series has cast some of its first actors. Damon Lindelof who is heading up the series has said it’ll explore other aspects of the world and isn’t an adaptation of the modern classic comic series. It will air on HBO.

Cast in unknown roles are Regina King, Don Johnson, Tim Blake Nelson, Louis Gossett Jr., Adelaide Clemens, and Andrew Howard. King will have the lead role.

Lindelof has said that some of the characters for the series will be unknown. There’ll be new faces, new masks to uncover, and there’ll be an exploration of the world.

King and Johnson have yet to be attached to a comic property in their careers. Tim Blake Nelson played Dr. Allen in Fantastic Four and Samuel Sterns in The Incredible Hulk. Louis Gossett Jr. was the voice of Lucious Fox in The Batman and Jake Berkowitz in The Punisher. Adelaide Clemens appeared in X-Men Origins: Wolverine as Carnival Girl. Andrew Howard was Luther Banks in multiple episodes of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

The Best Show You’re Not Watching, American Crime

AMERICAN CRIME - "American Crime," ABC's Emmy-nominated series, will make its second-season premiere WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2016 (10:00-11:00 p.m. ET). The second season is set in the U.S. Midwest, representative of the canvas that is America, at two high schools, one public and one private. (ABC/Ryan Green) JOHN RIDLEY (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER/DIRECTOR)

JOHN RIDLEY (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER/DIRECTOR)

Some of the best television of 2015 went pretty much unseen. American Crime saw it’s first season on ABC average a 1.16 rating in the 18-49 demographic with 4.98 million total viewers. The series created by producer John Ridley (of 12 Years a Slave fame) is an anthology series that addresses real world issues and some of the best acting on television.

The first season addressed the murder of a young man and assault of his wife. Four individuals are brought in for the crime, two Hispanic, one African-American, and one a white woman. What followed was a complicated story that left you wondering who actually was behind the crime as every story became more complicated and character provided more depth in a season than many on tv get in an entire series run. At time uncomfortable, the first season was thought provoking and challenged the viewer to address their own biases and prejudices. It’s not surprising so many looked the other way.

ABC saw past the low ratings, bringing back the series for a second season with many of the same actors in new roles, this time addressing high school drinking, drugging, sexual assault, sexual orientation, socioeconomic disparity, social media, and more. It again continues the nuanced, gripping television the first season began. It’s also difficult to watch, much like the first.

I expected the first season to drive a conversation, a television show that was timely, smart, honest, and brutal. That didn’t happen. I hope the second season does the same, but I expect there to be more of the same, which is a shame since it’s some of the best television I’ve seen since the first season.

CONNOR JESSUP

CONNOR JESSUP

I’ve seen the first two episode and can say the performances by Connor Jessup as Taylor Blaine and Lili Taylor as his mother Anne are some of the best on tv right now, and deserve award attention when that time comes. Like last year, Felicity Huffman, Timothy Hutton, and Regina King continue to deliver performances of their careers. They’re joined by new and old faces alike for a cast that’s a tour de force.

Television is supposed to entertain, but entertainment can also challenge and make us think. That is embodied by this series’ first season, and so far its second. This is a series that should get us talking about our society, warts and all, and question our thoughts and opinions. By doing so, American Crime transcends entertainment.

The Emmy-nominated American Crime, will make its second-season premiere Wednesday, January 6, 2016 (10:00-11:00 p.m. ET).