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Exclusive: MGM has acquired global distribution rights to the upcoming supernatural-psychological thriller series The Box, starring Anna Friel, from Shades of Blue creator Adi Hasak and Nordic Entertainment Group. The deal excludes the Nordics, Baltics and Poland, where The Box will premiere on Nent Group’s streaming service Viaplay Nov. 28, and the Netherlands and the UK, where Viaplay will launch in 2022.

Created by Hasak, the English-language series stars Friel as Sharon Pici, a Kansas City police officer who is surrounded by headstrong men who are convinced she is losing her mind – when, through no fault of her own, she’s targeted by supernatural powers far greater than herself. As Sharon finally realizes her true strength, she takes her life into her own hands.

Starring alongside Friel are Olivia Grant (Stardust), Letitia Hector (Venus vs. Mars), Peter Stormare (American Gods), Alexander Karim (Zero Dark Thirty), Helen Behan (The Virtues), Nina Yndis...

Exclusive: Adi Hasak, creator of NBC series Shades Of Blue and USA Network thriller Eyewitness, is teaming up with Nordic Entertainment Group on supernatural anthology series The Box, which will star Emmy-winner Anna Friel (Marcella).

The English-language series was green-lit off Hasak’s series bible. Plot details are largely being kept under wraps but we understand Friel will play the lead role of Sharon Pici, a Kansas City Police Detective who is locked in a room that she cannot escape. The drama will begin as a character-driven psychological thriller but evolve into a supernatural horror.

Hasak will serve as showrunner and has written or co-written all eight, 30-minute episodes. Co-writers are Paula Killen, Josh Azouz and Clare Siobhan Byrne. Production is due to begin in February 2021 in Stockholm, Sweden, and will follow the country’s Covid-19 protocols.

Series is being produced by Nent subsidiary Nice Drama, creator of series Midnight...

When he isn't writing or directing, the continually busy and multitasking Adam McKay is producing, and this year alone has seen his hands on a number of films including "The Campaign," "The Dictator," "Casa De Mi Padre," "Bachelorette" and "Tim And Eric's Billion Dollar Movie." They all range from big studio summer movies to smaller scale indies, but none of those are as intimate or personal as "Fully Loaded." McKay teamed with Jeremy Piven to executive produce the picture, and as it hits VOD this week, we chatted with the filmmaker about what drew him to the project. Written by and starring Paula Killen and Lisa Orkin (who based it on their play from Uprights Citizens Brigade), and directed by Shira Piven, "Fully Loaded" chronicles one night on the town with two single moms, whose journey for a hook up finds them comedically reflecting on their lives, past relationships, children and more.

According to director Adam McKay, Anchorman 2 is partly going to be a musical. In fact, it was originally envisioned as a Broadway Musical, so he's just going to bring that vision to the big screen. It's no surprise, after all McKay likes to throw musical moments into his films. The director recently told The Playlist in an interview, "There will be some music in Anchorman 2 though for sure, we have some songs already written. We were going to do Anchorman 2 as a Broadway musical first, for like six months and then go shoot the movie. That was our initial idea."

He went on to explain that there will be whole song sequences, and that he hopes his actors will sing live on set like Tom Hooper did when shooting Les Miserables.

The music sequences we have done -- we did 'Afternoon Delight' [in Anchorman], Adam Scott and his family singing 'Sweet Child...

The script for Anchorman 2 isn’t even finished yet, but that won’t director-cowriter Adam McKay from shamelessly teasing us with ambient plot points from the hotly anticipated comedy sequel. In an exclusive chat with Indiewire, McKay notes that the film was originally developed as a Broadway musical, which means that some songs have already been written for the movie. They will have “whole song sequences,” he promises, and also hints that the musical sequences will “have a little more movement” than the musical numbers in Anchorman 1 and Step Brothers. (Pause to imagine a full-scale Busby Berkeley number, with dancers...

The sadly scrapped plan to make Anchorman 2 a Broadway musical will at least be salvaged in the form of a song-and-dance number or two, the Playlist has learned. Director Adam McKay's also looking to create "a murderer's row of the best day players ever. Like having every single one-line or three-line role just be someone we just love. Someone like Ian Roberts or Rob Huebel or Paula Killen — just making sure every day player is a home run." Don't forget there's another melee on the schedule, too.

To say that Adam McKay is busy would be an understatement. The writer/producer/director has about a half dozen various projects on the go, and when we caught up with him this afternoon, he was in the midst of doing interviews for dark indie comedy "Fully Loaded," which he executive produced. Directed by Shira Piven, and written by and starring Paula Killen and Lisa Orkin (who based it on their play from Uprights Citizens Brigade), the film chronicles one night on the town with two single Moms, whose journey for a hook up finds them comedically reflecting on their lives, past relationships, children and more. And course, no night out is complete with a mix to go with it, and "Fully Loaded" boasts an intriguing selection of indie tunes, kicking things off with Los Campesinos! infectious "You! Me! Dancing!" And for anyone who has followed McKay over the years,...

Kimleigh Smith proudly announces together with director Paula Killen the return of her one-woman show, T-o-t-a-l-l-y! playing The Red Room (85 East 4th Street, 3rd Floor, between 2nd and 3rd Avenues) in New York City for a limited-run - playing February 25-March 7. Performances play: February 25 - 6:30pm, February 27 - 2:00pm, March 3 - 9:30pm, March 5 - 11:00pm, March 6 - 5:00pm, and March 7 -6:30pm, as part of the acclaimed Frigid New York Festival.