HBO Releases Official Teaser For TRUE DETECTIVE: NIGHT COUNTRY

HBO Releases Official Teaser For TRUE DETECTIVE: NIGHT COUNTRY

HBO has released the official teaser for the original drama series TRUE DETECTIVE: NIGHT COUNTRY, starring Jodie Foster, Kali Reis, Fiona Shaw, Finn Bennett, Isabella Star Lablanc, Aka Niviâna, Anna Lambe, and Joel D. Montgrand with Christopher Eccleston, and John Hawkes. Issa López serves as showrunner and writer and directs all episodes. The teaser was revealed today exclusively during Warner Bros. Discovery’s unveiling of the Max streaming service on the Warner Bros. lot in Los Angeles.   Logline: When the long winter night falls in Ennis, Alaska, the eight men who operate the Tsalal Arctic Research Station vanish without a trace. To solve the case, Detectives Liz Danvers (Foster) and Evangeline Navarro (Reis) will have to confront the darkness they carry in themselves, and dig into the haunted truths that lie buried under the eternal ice.   Credits: Showrunner, writer, director, executive producer, Issa López; star and executive producer, Jodie Foster. Executive Producers: Barry Jenkins, Adele Romanski, and Mark Ceryak for PASTEL; Mari Jo Winkler; Chris Mundy; Alan Page Arriaga; Steve Golin; Richard Brown; Woody Harrelson; Matthew McConaughey; Cary Joji Fukunaga; Nic Pizzolatto. Producers: Princess Daazhraii Johnson; Cathy Tagnak Rexford; Sam Breckman.

GREMLINS: SECRETS OF THE MOGWAI Premieres May 23 On Max

 

GREMLINS: SECRETS OF THE MOGWAI Premieres May 23 On Max

Animated Prequel Series To Iconic Film Franchise Stars Ming-Na Wen, James Hong, BD Wong, Matthew Rhys And More

Escape into a world of magic and mythology when GREMLINS: SECRETS OF THE MOGWAI premieres TUESDAY, MAY 23 on Max. The premiere date announcement for the highly anticipated animated family adventure was revealed today exclusively during Warner Bros. Discovery’s unveiling of the Max streaming service on the Warner Bros. lot in Los Angeles.   Logline: GREMLINS: SECRETS OF THE MOGWAI takes viewers back to 1920s Shanghai where the Wing family first meets the young Mogwai called Gizmo. Sam Wing (future shop owner Mr. Wing in the 1984 “Gremlins” film) accepts the dangerous task to take Gizmo home and embarks on a journey through the Chinese countryside. Sam and Gizmo are joined by a teenage street thief named Elle, and together, they encounter—and sometimes battle—colorful monsters and spirits from Chinese folklore. Along their quest, they are pursued by a power-hungry industrialist and his growing army of evil Gremlins.   Voice cast: The all-star voice cast includes Ming-Na Wen, James Hong, BD Wong, Matthew Rhys, Izaac Wang, AJ LoCascio, Gabrielle Nevaeh Green. The series will also feature notable guest stars including Zach Galligan who starred as the hero “Billy Peltzer” in Amblin’s original “Gremlins” films. Additional guest voices include Sandra Oh, Randall Park, George Takei, and Bowen Yang.   Credits: GREMLINS: SECRETS OF THE MOGWAI is produced by Amblin Television in association with Warner Bros. Animation. Steven Spielberg serves as executive producer, along with Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey, Presidents of Amblin Television, and Sam Register, President, Warner Bros. Animation and Cartoon Network Studios. Tze Chun serves as showrunner and executive producer. Brendan Hay serves as executive producer with Dan Krall serving as Supervising Producer. Joe Dante serves as consulting producer.

Much Loved Symphonic Classic Fairy Tale PETER & THE WOLF Reimagined By Gavin Friday And Bono For Max And Cartoon Network Unique Creative Project Featuring Original Music and Artwork

Max and Cartoon Network have greenlit an animated rendition of the beloved classic tale PETER & THE WOLF featuring music and narration by Gavin Friday, and artwork based on original illustrations by Bono. The special transforms Sergei Prokofiev’s much-loved symphony into an enchanting and contemporary visual masterpiece that touches on themes of growing up, loss, courage, transformation, and our relationship with nature. The animated short film is scheduled to premiere later this year and is part of an ongoing relationship with Irish Hospice Foundation.

 
The uniquely creative project is led by musician and composer Gavin Friday and saw him narrate the reimagined classic tale with The Friday Seezer Ensemble performing Prokofiev score, newly arranged by Maurice Seezer and Gavin Friday.
 
The artwork seen throughout the film is based on original illustrations by Gavin Friday’s longtime friend and collaborator, Bono, from his book of the same name.
 
Featuring a special juxtaposition of traditional hand-drawn 2D animation combined with a physical set-built world, this reimagined classic tale follows a grieving 12-year-old Peter who is now in the care of his grandfather after enduring the loss of a parent. Upon hearing stories of a wolf on the loose, Peter decides to explore the vast meadow and forest nearby to try and find the wolf himself. Along the way he encounters creatures who help him on his quest while contending with hunters aiming to win a prize for capturing the wolf. 
 
“The messaging of vigilance, bravery, and resilience that were core to the original symphony are still echoed throughout our interpretation, but we spin a traditional fairy tale into a unique adaptation that also incorporates the topic of loss, redemption, and recovery,” said Gavin Friday and Bono. “It’s our hope that this ‘Peter & the Wolf’ becomes a balm for any child dealing with loss, alongside exposing and captivating them into the wonderful and musical world of Prokofiev.”
 
The project was originally developed in 2003 by Gavin Friday and Bono in support of Irish Hospice Foundation (IHF), a national charity supporting those facing dying, death and bereavement.  IHF began with the aim to extend availability of hospice services across the country and has now grown to develop programs in education, research and bereavement services. The ‘Peter & the Wolf” team have worked closely with Irish Hospice Foundation on this project, with IHF advising on how best to represent the story’s sensitive themes of bereavement and loss with authenticity and thoughtfulness.
 
When we meet Peter, he’s an angsty adolescent, but over the course of the story, a lighthearted side emerges along with his resourcefulness and determination to uncover a thoughtful and very human side of him. Each character in this telling of “Peter & the Wolf” represents different aspects of Peter, with the Wolf embodying his relationship with grief and the unknown, his grandfather representing his connection to family and the forest creatures who capture the comedy, naivete and carefree elements of childhood. 
 
“The emotion and artistry that Gavin has created in this modern retelling of ‘Peter & the Wolf’ brings a sense of fearlessness and style this story has never seen before,” said Michael Ouweleen, president, Adult Swim, Cartoon Network, Discovery Family, and Boomerang. “We think this slightly punk rock version of the timeless classic fuses beautifully for every audience, and we are honored that Bono and Gavin have entrusted us as the home to share such a personal journey.” 
 
To reflect the unique nature of the project Blink Industries developed a mixed media approach to the production of “Peter & the Wolf” that embraced the 2D roots of Bono’s original designs while creating a tangible, immersive and atmospheric world for Peter and his cohorts. The monochromatic rendering of the film adds to the timeless quality of the piece.
 
Working with their extensive team of model makers, directors Stephen McNally and Elliot Dear built and filmed all the environments as miniatures in their studio in London before seamlessly compositing the 2D hand-drawn character animation into the world. An ingenious interplay of the 2D drawings with light and shade from the physical world blends the interaction between animated characters and model made environments.
 
The alchemy of the magic and nostalgia of 2D animation and the tactility and warmth of the physical sets creates a film that feels utterly unlike anything else.
 
“Peter & the Wolf” is produced by BMG and Blink Industries and executive produced by Alistair Norbury & Stuart Souter for BMG, Benjamin Lole & James Stevenson Bretton at Blink Industries
 
Blink Industries’ Elliot Dear and Stephen McNally are Directors, and the producer is Adriana Piasek-Wanski.

About Max
Max, launching May 23, is an enhanced streaming platform from Warner Bros. Discovery, delivering unparalleled quality content for everyone in the household. With a personalized user experience that brings unique and unexpected stories ranging from the best of unscripted to the highest quality in scripted programming, family-friendly content, HBO, WB Movies, Max Originals, the DC Universe, food, home, and documentaries, Max curates one-of-a-kind stories for every moment, every feeling, every you.
 
About Warner Bros. Discovery
Warner Bros. Discovery (NASDAQ: WBD) is a leading global media and entertainment company that creates and distributes the world’s most differentiated and complete portfolio of content and brands across television, film and streaming. Available in more than  220 countries and territories and 50 languages, Warner Bros. Discovery inspires, informs and entertains audiences worldwide through its iconic brands and products including: Discovery Channel, discovery+, CNN, DC, Eurosport, HBO, HBO Max, HGTV, Food Network, OWN, Investigation Discovery, TLC, Magnolia Network, TNT, TBS, truTV, Travel Channel, MotorTrend, Animal Planet, Science Channel, Warner Bros. Pictures, Warner Bros. Television, Warner Bros. Games, New Line Cinema, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Turner Classic Movies, Discovery en Español, Hogar de HGTV and others. For more information, please visit www.wbd.com.
 
About BMG
BMG is the first new international music company of the streaming age, consciously seeking to offer a modern alternative to traditional music companies. From its distinctive structure bringing music publishing and records under one roof to a relentless focus on its core values of fairness, transparency and service, BMG is proud to be different. Most recently it has added film to its portfolio of services to artists and songwriters.  In 2022 BMG co-produced the David Bowie film ‘Moonage Daydream’ and recently announced it partnered with Pulse Films on the Netflix acquired ‘Lewis Capaldi: How I’m Feeling Now”.
 
About Blink Industries
Blink Industries is an Emmy-winning & BAFTA-nominated production company and animation studio based in London. Home to the distinctive and the authored they excel in bringing an inventive approach to their slate of TV and feature film projects. Specialising in working with film makers with unique vision, Blink Industries develop and produce projects that look and feel like no other. Blink Industries currently has shows in production with Disney+ & Channel 4 and their development slate ranges across various genres and visual mediums, from high-end live-action to 2D and CG animation, stop motion and puppetry.
 
About Irish Hospice Foundation
Irish Hospice Foundation is a national charity that addresses dying, death and bereavement in Ireland. Our vision is an Ireland where people facing end of life or bereavement, and those who care for them, are provided with the care and support that they need.  Through advocacy and education, and the provision of services such as Nurses for Night Care and the Bereavement Support Line, Irish Hospice Foundation works to ensure that every person in Ireland can die and grieve well, whatever their age and wherever the place.  For more information see www.hospicefoundation.ie

Max Announces Development Of Drama Series Set In THE CONJURING Universe

 

Max Announces Development Of Drama Series Set In THE CONJURING Universe

From Executive Producers James Wan, Peter Safran, and Warner Bros. Television

Max is currently developing a drama series based on the films in New Line Cinema’s “The Conjuring Universe,” it was announced today exclusively during Warner Bros. Discovery’s unveiling of the Max streaming service on the Warner Bros. lot in Los Angeles. “The Conjuring” producer Peter Safran will serve as an executive producer on the project, which is in development at Warner Bros. Television. Filmmaker James Wan is in talks to executive produce.   Based on the films produced by New Line Cinema and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, “The Conjuring” television series will continue the story established in the feature films. Wan’s Atomic Monster Productions and Safran’s The Safran Company will produce in association with Warner Bros. Television, where The Safran Company is under an overall deal.   The films in “The Conjuring” Universe — “The Conjuring,” “Annabelle,” “The Conjuring 2,” “Annabelle: Creation,” “The Nun,” “Annabelle Comes Home,” and “The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It” — have collectively grossed more than $2 billion at the worldwide box office. The next installment, “The Nun 2,” will be released September 8, 2023.

Warner Bros. Discovery Unveils Max Streaming Service Service Debuts In The U.S. On May 23 Max Announces Harry Potter Series, “Game of Thrones” Prequel A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight, And More

 

Warner Bros. Discovery Unveils Max Streaming Service

Service Debuts In The U.S. On May 23   Max Announces Harry Potter Series, “Game of Thrones” Prequel A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight, And More

Warner Bros. Discovery (Nasdaq: WBD) today introduced Max, its enhanced streaming service, which will launch in the U.S. on May 23. Max is the destination for HBO Originals, Warner Bros. films, Max Originals, the DC universe, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, an expansive offering of kids content, and best-in-class programing across food, home, reality, lifestyle and documentaries from leading brands like HGTV, Food Network, Discovery Channel, TLC, ID and more. Max will stand out amongst streamers by uniquely combining unrivaled breadth and superior quality with iconic franchises and strong product experience, all for great value.   Introducing Max – the one to watch for every mood and every moment.   The event included a sneak peek at the launch campaign for Max, which kicks off tomorrow and celebrates the different moods, fandoms and genres that represent Max viewers. The campaign will invite new subscribers to experience Max’s improved product experience and expanded content for everyone in the household.

“From the biggest superheroes to real life champions; from culture-shaping dramas to taste-shaping entertainment; from fantastical realms to the realest of worlds, Max will offer an unrivaled range of choice,” said JB Perrette, President & CEO, Global Streaming & Games, Warner Bros. Discovery. “This new brand signals an important change from two narrower products, HBO Max and discovery+, to our broader content offering and consumer proposition. While each product offered something for some people, Max will have a broad array of quality choices for everybody.” SIGNING UP Max will offer three pricing options, giving subscribers the choice to select which plan best fits the needs of their household.  Max Ad-Lite | $9.99/month or $99.99/year 2 concurrent streams, 1080p resolution, no offline downloads, 5.1 surround sound quality   Max Ad Free | $15.99/month or $149.99/year 2 concurrent streams, 1080 resolution, 30 offline downloads, 5.1 surround sound quality   Max Ultimate Ad Free | $19.99/month or $199.99/year 4 concurrent streams, up to 4K UHD resolution, 100 offline downloads, Dolby Atmos sound quality

Existing HBO Max subscribers will have access to Max at the same price as their HBO Max subscription and can visit http://help.hbomax.com/introducingMaxto find out more. Additionally, HBO Max subscribers will still have access to their current plan features for a minimum of six months following launch. HBO Max subscribers’ profiles, settings, watch history, “Continue Watching,” and “My List” items will also migrate to Max so they can pick up streaming right where they left off.   CONTENT OFFERING Max will bring HBO Max’s can’t-miss programming and Discovery+’s engaging real life entertainment content together to create a complete viewing experience for all ages. The service will feature a regular freshness of content with an average of more than 40 new titles and seasons every month. With a library of iconic favorites, Max will offer a world-class collection of globally recognized brands, franchises, series, and characters, making it a truly unprecedented offering. Audiences will be able to explore the iconic worlds of HBO, the DC Universe, and Harry Potter, plus hit movies, original series, and fan-favorite genres like true crime, reality, food, and comedy, all in one place.   “The Max service is a wide-ranging mosaic of content that will be unmatched in the breadth, reach, and excellence of its offerings,” said Casey Bloys, Chairman and CEO, HBO and Max Content. “We are unique because we have the best-in-all-categories across the board by any measure – be they ratings, awards, fandom. We know we can satisfy any craving because we have the brands that people love. At Max, they will find what they want, when they want it.”   Newly announced titles include a Max Original Harry Potter series, a faithful adaptation of the beloved original book series by J.K. Rowling, who will serve as executive producer; a Max Original comedy series derived from The Big Bang Theory; an HBO Original “Game of Thrones” prequel A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight; a Max Original drama series based on The Conjuring films; Magnolia Network’s Fixer Upper: The Hotel; Discovery Channel’s Survive the Raft; Max Original Peter & the Wolf from Bono; Adult Swim’s Rick and Morty: The Anime; Investigation Discovery’s Lost Women of Highway 20; Cartoon Network’s Tiny Toons Looniversity; and TLC’s Love & Translation.   Max also provided first looks today at additional highly anticipated upcoming titles including Max Originals The Penguin starring Colin Farrell; HBO Original drama series The Sympathizer, an espionage thriller and cross-culture satire based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name; HBO Original limited series True Detective: Night Country starring Jodie Foster and Kali Reis; HBO Original limited series The Regime starring Academy Award®-winner Kate Winslet; Max Original six-part docuseries SmartLess: On The Road, following Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, and Sean Hayes as they take viewers on an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the sold-out live tour of their podcast; and Max Original kids series Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai. In addition to Max original programming, a first look at HGTV’s four-part Barbie Dreamhouse Challenge hosted by Ashley Graham, which will also be available to stream on Max, was shown during the presentation. PRODUCT FEATURES  Whether you know exactly what you want to watch, you’re looking for personalized recommendations, or you’re in the mood to explore new interests, Max makes the journey to clicking play effortless. Max will bring all of this content into one seamless user experience that invites every member of the family to find great entertainment.   “Our incredible team has been hard at work taking the best of both legacy technology platforms to deliver a product that works much better,” said Perrette. “We’re confident that all these enhancements will deliver a stronger experience for our customers, which will drive more engagement, help enhance retention, and improve customer satisfaction, which in turn will help us continue to scale.”   Highlights include: Premium Video Playback: A new video playback experience will deliver smooth and cinematic video to users, wherever and however they prefer to watch. Whether binging their favorites, watching offline on-the-go, or tuning in on Sunday nights for the latest episode of Succession, users can count on seamlessly diving into their preferred worlds.   Personalization: Max will expand personalization beyond just the home page, offering a differentiated and high-performing experience for every user across the whole service.  By significantly increasing our investment in machine learning while maintaining an editorial voice, Max will deliver a unique human and machine approach that will help surface the best content for our users.   More Prominent Kids Experience: At launch, Max will introduce a default kids profile for new subscribers along with accompanying parental controls. Parents can choose to customize settings and select to limit content for the kids profile by ratings: little kids (tv-y), big kids (tv-y7, tvy7-fv), big kids plus (tv-g, g), preteens (tv-pg/pg), or teens (tv-14, pg-13). Parents will also have the ability to set individual profile PINs to lock access to their adult profiles, as well as a parent code to lock their children inside of the Max kids experience.   Simplified Navigation: Max works harder so viewers don't have to. Streamlined categories, improved content details pages, shortcuts, dedicated brand hubs and thematic content rails, make exploring the app and discovering new interests easier. The updated design coupled with a better personalization engine will help consumers quickly find and discover the best of what they are looking for.   4K UHD: The Ultimate Ad-Free tier of Max will have an expanded catalog of content available in 4K UHD including key programming such as Game of Thrones, The Last of Us, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, The Dark Knight Trilogy and more. All Warner Bros. movies released this year and going forward will also be available in 4K UHD when they arrive on Max following their theatrical windows.

Max Announces THE BIG BANG THEORY Project In Development New Comedy From Chuck Lorre Is Currently In the Works With Warner Bros. Television.

 

Max and executive producer Chuck Lorre are developing a new comedy series derived from “The Big Bang Theory.” The project is in the works at Warner Bros. Television, where Lorre is under an overall deal.   Plot details are currently under wraps. Lorre will executive produce via Chuck Lorre Productions. The new show would be the second collaboration between Max, Lorre, and WBTV. Lorre and Nick Bakay are currently in production on the new Max Original comedy series “How to Be a Bookie,” starring Sebastian Maniscalco.   This would mark the second series derived from the world of “The Big Bang Theory,” following the prequel “Young Sheldon,” which begins with Iain Armitage starring as “The Big Bang Theory” character Sheldon Cooper as a nine-year-old, living with his family in East Texas and going to high school. “Young Sheldon” is in its sixth season on CBS and ranks as the #1 comedy on TV among Total Viewers.   All episodes of “The Big Bang Theory” and the first five seasons of “Young Sheldon” are available to stream on Max in the U.S.   “The Big Bang Theory” debuted in 2007 and was the number one comedy in the world when it concluded its successful 12-season run in 2019 as the longest-running multi-camera series in television history, with 279 episodes. The series won ten Emmy® Awards and received 55 Emmy® nominations. Additionally, “The Big Bang Theory” won a Critics Choice TV Award for Outstanding Comedy Series and The Humanitas Prize.   In 2015, The Chuck Lorre Family Foundation created “The Big Bang Theory” Scholarship Endowment at UCLA, which supports undergraduate students in need of financial aid who are pursuing their higher education in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). In 2019, “The Big Bang Theory” Graduate School Fund was created to provide four-year scholarships for “Big Bang” UCLA scholars who continue their STEM education in graduate school within the University of California system.

Max Releases Official First Look Footage And Image From THE PENGUIN, Starring Colin Farrell The Series From Warner Bros. Television And DC Studios Is Currently In Production

 

• Max has released first look footage and an image of the series, officially titled THE PENGUIN from Warner Bros. Television and DC Studios. Starring Colin Farrell as The Penguin, the eight-episode DC Studios drama series continues The Batman epic crime saga that filmmaker Matt Reeves began with Warner Bros. Pictures’ global blockbuster “The Batman,” and centers on the character played by Farrell in the film. The first look was revealed today exclusively during Warner Bros. Discovery’s unveiling of the Max streaming service on the Warner Bros. lot in Los Angeles.
   
• Cast: The previously announced cast includes Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz, Michael Kelly, Shohreh Aghdashloo and Deirdre O’Connell, with Clancy Brown and Michael Zegen recurring.
   
• Credits: The series is executive produced by Matt Reeves, Dylan Clark, Colin Farrell, Lauren LeFranc, who writes and serves as showrunner, Craig Zobel, who directs the first three episodes, and Bill Carraro. Based on characters created for DC by Bob Kane with Bill Finger, THE PENGUIN is produced by Reeves’ 6th & Idaho Productions and Dylan Clark Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television, where Reeves and 6th & Idaho are under an overall deal. 6th & Idaho’s Daniel Pipski also serves as executive producer and Rafi Crohn is co-executive producer