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Producers: Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Karen Lunder

Executive Producers: Zach Galifianakis, Douglas S. Jones

Directors: Kristin Gore and Damian Kulash, Jr.

Writer: Kristin Gore.

Director of Photography: Steven Meizler

Production Designer: Molly Hughes

Costume Designer: Reńee Ehrlich Kalfus

Editor: Jane Rizzo

Composers: Nathan Barr

Cast: Zach Galifianakis, Elizabeth Banks, Sarah Snook, Geraldine Viswanathan, Tracey Bonner, Carl Clemons-Hopkins

An AppleTV+ release, The Beanie Bubble examines a phenomenon of a certain era when the world suddenly treat stuffed animals like gold. Ty Warner was a frustrated toy salesman until his collaboration with three women grew his masterstroke of an idea into the biggest toy craze in history.…...

“I would say ‘Veep’ absolutely put us on a path toward this project,” reflects Peter Huyck on how the Emmy-winning HBO political satire starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus led him and his creative partner Alex Gregory to their subsequent project, the HBO limited series “White House Plumbers.” Together, the duo created, executive produced, and wrote all five episodes of this retelling of Watergate, which was brought to them by David Bernad. He thought there was a “Coen brothers dark comedy” in the material and wanted the “Veep” writers to offer a “new take” on the infamous D.C. scandal. Watch our exclusive video interview above.

Gregory points not only to “Veep,” but also to that show’s creator Armando Iannucci and his film “The Death of Stalin” as a major source of inspiration. “That was a horrific episode about a genocidal maniac, and it’s one of the funniest movies I’ve ever seen,...

Curated by the IndieWire Crafts team, Craft Considerations is a platform for filmmakers to talk about recent work we believe is worthy of awards consideration. In partnership with HBO, for this edition, we look at how the team behind “White House Plumbers” found a way to marry comedy, history, and the paranoid atmosphere of 1970s political thrillers.

There’s a scene in Episode 4 of “White House Plumbers” where Howard Hunt (Woody Harrelson), one of the masterminds behind the Watergate break-in, receives a call from reporter Bob Woodward. It’s the other side of the exact phone call dramatized from Woodward’s perspective in “All the President’s Men” — the 1976 movie about how Woodward and Carl Bernstein’s reporting helped bring down Hunt, his partner-in-crime G. Gordon Liddy (Justin Theroux), and the Nixon White House.

“I like to think of [‘White House Plumbers’] as existing almost in parallel to ‘All the President’s Men,’” said director...

“I didn’t think anyone would ever do a Watergate series, so I never thought to ask,” reflects David Mandel about one of the defining moments in American political history. But as it turns out, he recalls, “One day, I found out there was a Watergate series and the next thing I knew I was the director of it.” The Emmy Award-winning executive producer credits his longtime home HBO for backing the series “White House Plumbers” because “only they would make this show about two very dangerous guys in the 1970s who went to work for the President to basically break the law in the name of the law.” Watch our exclusive video interview above.

While Mandel says he doesn’t “want anybody sympathizing” with the two criminals who masterminded the infamous Watergate break-ins — E. Howard Hunt (Woody Harrelson) and G. Gordon Liddy (Justin Theroux) — he does hope the series helps viewers understand them.

HBO has launched a companion podcast to its White House Plumbers series, which just premiered tonight. From some of the minds behind Succession and Veep, White House Plumbers tells the story of the Watergate break-in and subsequent scandal like never before. Because it is based on historical events, the series is bound to raise questions; the White House Plumbers Podcast often has answers.

The White House Plumbers Podcast is a five-part series hosted by Olivia Nuzzi, the Washington correspondent for New York Magazine, and featuring a number of guests from the show. The first episode features interview clips from director David Mandel, stars Justin Theroux and Woody Harrelson, and Watergate historian Garrett Graff. Other guests include producer David Bernad, who is also a producer on The White Lotus season 3, and cinematographer Steven Meizler.

More About the White House Plumbers Podcast

The real events of the Watergate scandal are unbelievable; the...

After becoming the must-see cultural phenomenon last year during the pandemic, Netflix’s “The Queen’s Gambit” dominated the Creative Arts Emmys this weekend with nine awards. Scott Frank’s Cold War-era limited series about orphan chess prodigy Beth (Anya Taylor-Joy) was honored across the board for casting, cinematography, period costumes, editing, period makeup (non-prosthetic), original dramatic score (Carlos Rafael Rivera), production design, sound editing, and sound mixing.

We’ll have to wait and see if this translates to “The Queen’s Gambit” winning Outstanding Limited Series at the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards on September 19. Regardless, Frank assembled a talented team of craftspeople for conveying an almost surreal mood and atmosphere to Beth’s rite of passage.

But the big question for Tesoro was: What is too much chess? The answer: Play the faces more than the chess. And once viewers got their first glimpse of Beth, they were hooked and carried...

“The Queen’s Gambit” premiered on Netflix in October last year to excellent reviews and outstanding ratings for the streaming giant. It told the story of chess prodigy Beth Harmon (Anya Taylor-Joy), during the Cold War. Scroll down to watch our 12 exclusive video interviews with top Emmy contenders from the limited series which was written and directed by Scott Frank.

For her portrayal of Beth, Taylor-Joy won the SAG Award and Golden Globe. As the series follows Beth’s journey, she meets a range of personalities that make up the eclectic ensemble of “The Queen’s Gambit.” Moses Ingram plays Jolene, her rebellious best friend from the orphanage. Marielle Heller plays Alma, the lonely and supportive mother who adopts Beth. Thomas Brodie-Sangster plays Benny Watts, the brash U.S. chess champion who Beth faces and befriends. Harry Melling plays awkward Harry Beltik who moves in with Beth after she bests him. And...

Los Angeles The American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) presented its annual awards during a virtual ceremony today, with Erik Messerschmidt, ASC claiming the top prize in feature film for Mank. The 35th ASC Outstanding Achievement Awards also honored Aurélien Marra for Two of Us in the Spotlight Award category, and Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw for the documentary The Truffle Hunters. Winners in the TV categories included Steven Meizler for The Queen?s Gambit; Fabian Wagner, ASC, Bsc for The Crown; Jon Joffin, ASC for Motherland: Fort Salem; and Baz Idoine for The Mandalorian. TCM?s Ben Mankiewicz hosted the awards show, which was streamed live from the historic ASC Clubhouse in Hollywood. Below is the complete list of winners and nominees: Feature Award – presented by Roger Deakins, ASC, Bsc, Cbe and James Deakins -Erik Messerschmidt, ASC for Mank – Winner -Phedon Papamichael, ASC, Gsc for The Trial of the...

“Mank” cinematographer Erik Messerschmidt upset “Nomadland” Dp Joshua James Richards, the Oscar favorite, at the 35th annual American Society of Cinematographers Awards on Sunday. The win for David Fincher’s monochromatic biopic, with Herman J. Mankiewicz (Gary Oldman) struggling to churn out a first draft of “Citizen Kane,” was a surprise, given the momentum that has been with Richards since he won Camerimage’s prestigious Golden Frog last year. However, Richards (previously nominated for the Spotlight Award for “The Rider” but is not a current ASC member) still remains the Oscar favorite for shooting Chloé Zhao’s Best Picture frontrunner (she is also the favorite to take Best Director).

Yet it is a breakthrough achievement for Fincher’s go-to cinematographer from “Mindhunter.” Messerschmidt recreated a Golden Age of Hollywood in black-and-white, shooting with the Red Ranger Helium Monochrome, and bolstered by the Cinefade variable depth of field tool to emulate...

The American Society of Cinematographers handed out its top prize in feature film visual storytelling to Erik Messerschmidt, ASC for “Mank.”

Other winners included “The Crown,” “The Mandalorian,” “The Truffle Hunters,” “Two of Us,” “Motherland: Fort Salem” and “The Queen’s Gambit.”

Turner Classics Movies host Ben Mankiewicz served as the emcee for the ceremony, presenting the awards from the ASC clubhouse in Hollywood. During the ceremony, writer, producer and director Sofia Coppola was presented with the Board of Governors Award. Coppola accepted the award via Zoom and thanked her father “for having me on so many sets where I saw great cinematographers.”

The ASC Awards represent the organization’s picks for the most compelling visual filmmaking over the past 14 months. Roger Deakins and James Deakins presented the feature film prize to Messerschmidt, who beat out stiff competition from “Nomadland” cinematographer Joshua James Richards.

The ASC Awards mark the last guild...

“Mank” cinematographer Erik Messerschmidt has won the feature-film award from the American Society of Cinematographers at the 35th annual ASC Awards, which were handed out in a ceremony that streamed live from the ASC clubhouse in Hollywood on Sunday afternoon.

The award came in a category in which four of the five nominees are nominated for the Best Cinematography Oscar. The ASC nominees were “Mank,” “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” “Nomadland,” “News of the World” and “Cherry,” with the first four also landing Oscar nominations and “Cherry” replaced by “Judas and the Black Messiah” on the Oscar ballot.

Over the first 34 years, the ASC has honored the film that would go on to win the Oscar for Best Cinematography less than half the time, with the two groups matching 15 times and disagreeing 19 times. In recent years, though, the ASC has become a better Oscar predictor, with six out of 10 matches in the last decade.

The American Society of Cinematographers is announcing its winners today for the 35th Annual ASC Outstanding Achievement Awards this afternoon in the feature film, documentary and television cinematography categories.

They represent the organization’s picks for the most compelling visual filmmaking over the past 14 months.

The Society is bestowing the ASC Board of Governors Award to filmmaker Sophia Coppola for her contributions to cinema through her body of work. It is the only ASC Award not given to a cinematographer and is reserved for industry stalwarts who have been champions for directors of photography and the visual art form.

The Michael Chapman & Allen Daviau Student Heritage Award is being awarded to Ai Chung for A Young Tough in the Michael Chapman Graduate Category and Elias Ginsberg for Milk Teeth in the Allen Daviau Undergraduate Category.

The virtual ceremony is being streamed live via American Cinematographer’s Facebook page from the historic ASC Clubhouse in Hollywood.

The Truffle Hunters triumphs in documentary category.

One week before the Oscars, the American Society Of Cinematographers (ASC) gave Netflix’s gave Mank a timely boost by honouring it with the feature award to Erik Messerschmidt.

Last year’s ASC feature film winner was Roger Deakins for 1917 and he went on to win cinematography Oscar.

The 35th ASC Outstanding Achievement Awards on Sunday (April 18) also honoured Aurélien Marra for French romance Two Of Us in the Spotlight Award category, and Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw for The Truffle Hunters in the documentary category.

In the TV categories, Steven Meizler won...

Earlier today, the American Society of Cinematographers revealed their nominations, hoping to clear up who might be Oscar nominees next week. Well, they definitely confirmed that Erik Messerschmidt, Phedon Papamichael, Joshua James Richards, and Dariusz Wolski are very likely to hear their names called on Monday morning. As for the final slot, they went with Newton Thomas Sigel, but for Cherry, not Da 5 Bloods, as many expected. Messerchmidt (Mank), Papamichael (The Trial of the Chicago 7), Richards (Nomadland), and Wolski (News of the World) feel safe. As for the final spot at the Academy Awards in Best Cinematography, anything is possible, so sit tight… Here are the ASC nominees for this year: Feature Film Erik Messerschmidt, ASC Mank Phedon Papamichael, ASC, Gsc The Trial of the Chicago 7 Joshua James Richards Nomadland Newton Thomas Sigel, ASC Cherry Dariusz Wolski, ASC News of the World Spotlight Katelin Arizmendi Swallow Aurélien Marra Two...

The American Society of Cinematographers on Wednesday set its nominees for the 35th Asc Outstanding Achievement Awards, recognizing the best in feature film, documentary and television cinematography over the past 14 months. Winners will be revealed April 18 in a virtual ceremony from the Asc Clubhouse in Hollywood.

The marquee Feature Film category this year features awards-season staples including Erik Messerschmidt for Mank and Phedon Papamichael for The Trial of the Chicago 7, both from Netflix, and Chloé Zhao’s go-to Dp Joshua James Richards for Seachlight’s Nomadland. Also in the running is Newton Thomas Sigel for A24’s Russo Brothers-directed Cherry and Dariusz Wolski for Universal’s News of the World.

Papamichael has been nominated for five Asc Awards including last year for Ford v Ferrari. He lost to Roger Deakins for 1917; Deakins went on to win the Oscar, marking the 15th time the Asc winner has gone on to scoop the Academy Award in 34 years.

“Cherry,” “Mank,” “News of the World,” “Nomadland” and “The Trial of the Chicago 7” are among the films nominated by the American Society of Cinematographers (Asc) in the feature film category.

The Asc nominees for feature film, documentary and television cinematography represent the organization’s picks for the most compelling visual filmmaking over the past 14 months. Last year’s Asc feature film winner was Roger Deakins for “1917,” who went on to win an Oscar for best achievement in cinematography.

Winners will be named during the 35th Asc Outstanding Achievement Awards on April 18.

The virtual ceremony will be live streamed via American Cinematographer’s Facebook page at 12:30 p.m. Pt from the historic Asc Clubhouse in Hollywood.

The complete list of this year’s nominees are:

Feature Film

Erik Messerschmidt, Asc (“Mank”)

Phedon Papamichael, Asc, Gsc (“The Trial of the Chicago 7″)

Joshua James Richards (” Nomadland”)

Newton Thomas Sigel, Asc (“Cherry”)

Dariusz Wolski,...

The cinematography for “Mank,” “Nomadland,” “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” “News of the World” and “Cherry” has been nominated as the best film work of 2020 by the American Society of Cinematographers, the Asc announced on Wednesday.

The first four of those films were expected to be recognized by the Asc and are thought to be strong contenders for the Oscar for Best Cinematography, but “Cherry” came as a surprise. The Russo brothers film came out in February to withering reviews and had not been considered an awards contender until the Asc included its cinematographer, Newton Thomas Sigel, in its list of nominees.

“Cherry” landed that nomination over a group of films that included “Tenet,” “Minari,” “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” “Judas and the Black Messiah” — and “Da 5 Bloods,” a more high-profile film that was also shot by Sigel.

In the Spotlight category, which singles out cinematographers from films that...

The American Society of Cinematographers (Asc) has weighed in with picks for the best cinematography in film and television over the last year. Like other major guild ceremonies including the Directors Guild of America and the Screen Actors Guild, the Asc nominees are looked at closely by Oscar pundits considering the overlap between guild members and the Academy. Over the last decade, the eventual Oscar winner for Best Cinematography has at least been nominated for the Asc prize for Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Theatrical Releases.

Last year’s ASC winner was Roger Deakins for “1917.” Deakins also won the ASC prize for “Blade Runner 2049.” In both cases, the legendary Dp went on to win the Oscar for Best Cinematography. Wally Pfister for “Inception” and Emmanuel Lubezki for “Gravity,” “Birdman,” and “The Revenant” are other recent examples of Asc winners who also prevailed at the Academy Awards. The Asc...

“The Queen’s Gambit” is reportedly one of Netflix’s most watched limited series of all time, and more and more the Gold Derby users who are predicting the Golden Globes think the drama will enjoy an awards windfall too. In particular, most of the Expert journalists we’ve surveyed are now saying it will win Best TV Movie/Limited Series.

SEEHow ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ cinematographer Steven Meizler made chess look exciting [Exclusive Video Interview]

Four out of the six Experts who have placed their bets as of this writing are backing “Queen’s Gambit”: Eric Deggans (NPR), Joyce Eng (Gold Derby), Robert Rorke and Peter Travers (Rolling Stone). That’s up from early November when only one Expert (Travers) was forecasting it. The other two, Matthew Jacobs (Huffington Post) and Susan Wloszczyna (Gold Derby), are still predicting recent Emmys sleeper hit “Unorthodox.”

Adapted from the novel of the same name by Walter Tevis,...

While everyone has their own process, our panelists at our Meet the Experts: TV Cinematography panel agree that the most important places to start on a project is on the page and with the director. “I think for me the director’s vision is so important. I try to keep an open mind when I’m reading the script,” Martin Ahlgren (“The Plot Against America”) says during our group discussion with Dan Stoloff (“The Boys”), Steven Meizler (“The Queen’s Gambit”) and Dariusz Wolski (“Raised by Wolves”). Click on each of these names to watch an individual interview with each Dp.

“First, I wanna take it in what’s on the page, not necessarily start thinking about a technical approach, but then to me it’s important to speak to the director and get into his or her head to kind of have an idea of where they’re imagining the...

The hottest show of the moment in the dumpster fire of a year that is 2020 is about… chess. Safe to say no one really saw that coming, including the “The Queen’s Gambit” cinematographer Steven Meizler.

“[The reception has] been really surreal and very overwhelming. I didn’t think it was going to be this big,” Meizler tells Gold Derby at our Meet the Experts: TV Cinematography panel (watch above). “I knew we had a good show, but it’s also about chess, which is not really the most exciting thing in the world. I know we tried very hard to make it exciting, but to actually get this reaction and this sort of moment, it feels really great.”

Based on Walter Tevis’ novel of the same name, “The Queen’s Gambit” follows chess prodigy Beth Harmon (Anya Taylor-Joy) in the ‘60s and reunites Meizler with longtime collaborator Scott Frank, with whom he most recently worked on “Godless.

Four top TV cinematographers will reveal the secrets behind their crafts when they join Gold Derby’s special “Meet the Btl Experts” Q&a event with key 2021 guild and Emmy contenders this month. Each person will participate in two video discussions to be published on Monday, November 30, at 5:00 p.m. Pt; 8:00 p.m. Et. We’ll have a one-on-one with our senior editor Joyce Eng and a group chat with Joyce and all of the DPs together.

RSVP today by clicking here to book your reservations. We’ll send you a reminder a few before the start of the show so you won’t miss watching.

This “Meet the Btl Experts” panel welcomes the following 2021 guild and Emmy contenders:

“The Boys” (Amazon Prime): Dan Stoloff

Stoloff’s career has included “Amazing Stories,” “The Americans,” “Suits,” “The Prince” and “Fairly Legal.”

“The Queen’s Gambit” (Netflix): Steven Meizler...

Netflix has confirmed “The Queen’s Gambit” is its biggest scripted limited series in history, launching to a record-breaking 62 million households over its first 28 days of release, the streamer claims. That opening number figure puts “The Queen’s Gambit” in the same league as some of Netflix’s biggest original movie debuts, including “The Kissing Booth 2” and “The Irishman.” The Scott Frank-created series starring Anya Taylor-Joy has also proven to be a hit overseas, cracking the streamer’s top 10 list in 92 countries and ranking number one in 63 countries, including the UK, Argentina, Israel, and South Africa. It’s also inspired sales of chessboards to skyrocket.

“I am both delighted and dazed by the response,” Frank said in a statement. “It’s just all way beyond what any of us could have imagined.” But speaking for my fellow producers and the entire cast and crew of the show, every one of whom...

The Queen’s Gambit has been watched by 62M million households – making it Netflix’s biggest scripted limited series to date, the streaming giant said Monday. The series, which stars Anya Taylor-Joy as rising chess star Beth Harmon, launched on October 23, and is based on Walter Tevis’ novel.

Written by Scott Frank, who also directs, and co-creator with Allan Scott (Don’t Look Now), The Queen’s Gambit chronicles the life of an orphan chess prodigy. Set during the Cold War era, the story follows Harmon, from the age of 8 to 22, as she struggles with addiction in a quest to become the greatest chess player in the world.

Netflix noted that the seven-episode show ranked in its top 10 in 92 countries and No. 1 in 63 countries, including the UK, Argentina, Israel and South Africa.

The success of the drama has evidently lead to a wider interest in chess; Google searches for chess have doubled, chess...

Neither VFX supervisor John Mangia nor VFX producer Arissa Blasingame were chess masters before joining Netflix’s limited series “The Queen’s Gambit,” but they learned about the game once they were recruited to come on board to create the visual effects.

Based on the novel of the same name by Walter Tevis, the series follows the rise of young chess prodigy Beth Harmon (played by Anya Taylor-Joy), an orphan with a pill addiction. So intrigued by the game is Beth after seeing the janitor play, she goes to bed and sees a chessboard form on the ceiling.

“Every time you see the chess on the ceiling or anything happening when she’s moving them mentally with her mind, all of that stuff is based on real moves,” explains Blasingame, whose company Chicken Bone FX designed the sequences. “We definitely learned [about the game] throughout.”

Mangia adds the team came on board early in...

Actor and “Bear State” native Clark Duke (The Office, Kick-Ass, Hot Tub Time Machine) shows he has good taste by opening his directorial debut with a quote from Charles Portis, an author of such cult-inspiring comic invention that he’s been compared to Mark Twain, Cormac McCarthy, and Tom Wolfe. Most of the fuss about Portis stems from his 1968 novel True Grit, which Hollywood adapted twice, once with an Oscar-winning John Wayne and then a Coen brothers version with Jeff Bridges. But if you want the cream of this Dixie yarn-spinner’s crop,...

A first film from an actor turned director is always an interesting thing to study. In particular, what kind of movie they choose to make their first time out. For Clark Duke, he really seems to have wanted to honor his cinematic influences, namely the Coen Brothers. Arkansas, his directorial debut, is the sort of crime tale, with occasional bursts of dark humor, that Joel Coen and Ethan Coen made a career out of, especially in their early days. Duke, however, ends up with a much more uneven effort than the Coen Brothers, even if it does display the sort of chops that will serve him well in the future. The movie is a crime thriller, centered on two low level thugs who get caught up in a wave of violence. Kyle (Liam Hemsworth) and Swin (Clark Duke) are the two gangsters, who are soon to begin living under the...

Can Netflix snag Best Limited Series at the Emmys for “Godless”? Written and directed by Scott Frank, this seven-and-a-half hour western opus centers on a man (Jack O’Connell) hiding out from a violent outlaw (Jeff Daniels) in a town populated almost entirely by women after a deadly mining accident wipes out most of the men. Gold Derby recently spoke with Frank, stars Daniels and Merritt Wever, cinematographer Steven Meizler, costume designer Betsy Heimann, composer Carlos Rafael Rivera, and makeup department head Tarra Day about their work on the series. Scroll down and click on their names below to be taken to their full interviews.

“It’s a golden time” for television, says Daniels, who’s also in the Emmy race this year for his leading role in “The Looming Tower.” “The writing has gone to Hulu and Netflix and HBO and Showtime … and actors chase good writing.” Playing the...

One of the benefits of Peak TV is the proliferation of some downright stunning cinematography. Because of the aggressive weekly production schedule, TV never did anything too fancy in the past, but in recent years, as streaming and cable started getting in the game, pulling in some big-name talent with them, viewers have been treated to gorgeous compositions, hypnotic oners and envelope-pushing shots that were previously only seen in film.

“TV is where it’s at right now,” “Genius: Picasso” director of photography Ryan Purcell said at Gold Derby’s Meet the Experts: Cinematography panel featuring four DPs, moderated by this author (watch the Q&A with all of them above). “There’s more money, a little more time, and these men and women out there are just doing amazing, amazing work. It’s just so much to watch.”

“The Handmaid’s Tale” Dp Colin Watkinson, who won an Emmy...

Before “Part 8” of “Twin Peaks: The Return” aired last June, Peter Deming, David Lynch’s go-to director of photography since “Lost Highway,” teased it on Instagram. “Part 8 like no other,” he posted. That was probably the understatement of the year. The hour, most of which is in black and white and wordless, was like an avant-garde art installation that revealed the origin story of Bob, which tied all the way back to the first atomic bomb testing, blended emotional and terrifying sequences, and introduced a hybrid creature Lynch lovingly dubs the frog-moth.

But Deming had no idea the episode would be so weird — in the best way, of course — during production because the 18-episode season was filmed like a movie, instead of episodically, with a 520-page script. “You’re shooting for eight months, you’re shooting essentially story for eight months. The only way we could tell where it was...

“Godless” cinematographer Steven Meizler took a whole class dedicated to Western films in college, but he first looked to another source for inspiration when prepping for the Netflix limited series.

“I got the beginning of my research from old Western photographers and painters, like Frederic Remington. I got a lot of the colors and color palette from that. And Edward Curtis — a lot of his photography and compositions,” Meizler revealed during Gold Derby’s Meet the Experts: Cinematography panel, moderated by this author (watch above). “I was really struck by how hard the life was of the people and how they were survivalists and I really wanted to bring that to Godless, and how hard it was to live in the West.”

See ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Dp Colin Watkinson on creating the Colonies: ‘We wanted it to feel epic’ [Exclusive Video Interview]

“Godless,” which was filmed in Santa Fe, N.M., features...

If you're looking for a new show to binge-watch over the holiday break, we highly recommend Godless.

Set in the 1880s, the limited, seven-episode Netflix series puts an interesting twist on the Western genre, bringing the women to the forefront and detailing the hardships Americans faced at the time in an original way. Featuring breathtaking cinematography and truly fascinating characters like crazed outlaw Frank Griffin (Jeff Daniels) and his protege turned enemy, Roy Goode (Jack O’Connell), it's hard not to find yourself enamored in the show from beginning to end… even if you're not typically a fan of Westerns.

Godless highlights the town of La Belle, New Mexico, whose male population was almost completely wiped out by a mining disaster, leaving the ladies in charge to fend for themselves and their families. Newcomer Audrey Moore, who portrays Sarah Doyle, tells Et it was "a dream" to pay homage to the Western frontier women, and be a part...

Michelle Dockery is proving to be quite the chameleon on television.

After earning cred on the British stage in plays like Pygmalion and Burnt by the Sun, Dockery became a breakout star of the ensemble upstairs-downstairs drama, Downton Abbey, for her portrayal of Lady Mary Crawley. She embodied the snobbish yet endearing persona of an aristocratic daughter who eventually learns that her privileged life must change with the evolving times. By the end of the show's six-season run, Mary had become one of the show’s most likeable characters, having navigated unexpected hardships along the way.

In the years since the beloved series ended, the actress has been shedding the pomp and circumstance and corsets of Mary’s world for that of Good Behavior. The TNT drama, which is in the middle of its second season, has seen Dockery explore a life of addiction, troubled motherhood and cons as Letty Raines. It’s an impressive...

You know it when you see it. A star on the rise.

Casting “Magic Mike,” Steven Soderbergh saw an audition tape for then-22-year-old model-actress Riley Keough—whose genetic blessings from grandfather Elvis Presley and mother Lisa Marie are self evident—and hired her sight unseen for a small role as stripper Nora, where she learned all about “underwear and spray tans,” she told me in our video interview. She first met Soderbergh at a “Magic Mike” staff dinner with her co-stars Channing Tatum, Matthew McConaughey and her romantic interest Alex Pettyfer, to whom she was briefly engaged.

Five years later, “The Girlfriend Experience” producer Soderbergh cast Keough to carry the 13-part Starz half-hour series “The Girlfriend Experience,” now adapted from his 2009 film by indie writer-directors, Amy Seimetz (“Sun Don’t Shine”) and Lodge Kerrigan (“Claire Dolan”). Reviews and Emmy buzz are strong.

Keough had some discomfort after reading the...

You know it when you see it. A star on the rise.

Casting “Magic Mike,” Steven Soderbergh saw an audition tape for then-22-year-old model-actress Riley Keough—whose genetic blessings from grandfather Elvis Presley and mother Lisa Marie are self evident—and hired her sight unseen for a small role as stripper Nora, where she learned all about “underwear and spray tans,” she told me in our video interview. She first met Soderbergh at a “Magic Mike” staff dinner with her co-stars Channing Tatum, Matthew McConaughey and her romantic interest Alex Pettyfer, to whom she was briefly engaged.

Five years later, “The Girlfriend Experience” producer Soderbergh cast Keough to carry the 13-part Starz half-hour series “The Girlfriend Experience,” now adapted from his 2009 film by indie writer-directors, Amy Seimetz (“Sun Don’t Shine”) and Lodge Kerrigan (“Claire Dolan”). Reviews and Emmy buzz are strong.

Keough had some discomfort after reading the...

Lucky Monkey Pictures and Sh-k-Boom Records announced today Academy Award-and Tony Award nominated actress Anna Kendrick and Tony Award and Grammy Award nominated Jeremy Jordan (“Smash,” “Joyful Noise”) will star in the film adaptation of Jason Robert Brown’s acclaimed musical The Last 5 Years to be written and directed by Academy Award nominee Richard Lagravenese.

Lauren Versel, Kurt Deutsch, Richard Lagravenese and Janet Brenner will produce. Steve Norman will Co Produce. Steven Meizler, who has worked extensively with Steven Spielberg, David Fincher and Steven Soderbergh, is the Director of Photography. The film begins shooting this week in New York City. CAA will handle domestic sales, with Brian O’Shea and Nat McCormick handling international sales for The Exchange.

The Last 5 Years is a musical love story for a new generation. Told through emotionally powerful and comic songs from their individual perspectives, “The Last 5 Years” is a deconstruction...

Lucky Monkey Pictures and Sh-k-Boom Records announced today Academy Award-and Tony Award nominated actress Anna Kendrick and Tony Award and Grammy Award nominated Jeremy Jordan (Smash, Joyful Noise) will star in the film adaptation of Jason Robert Brown's acclaimed musical The Last 5 Years to be written and directed by Academy Award nominee Richard Lagravenese. Lauren Versel, Kurt Deutsch, Richard Lagravenese and Janet Brenner will produce. Steve Norman will Co Produce. Steven Meizler, who has worked extensively with Steven Spielberg, David Fincher and Steven Soderbergh, is the Director of Photography. The film begins shooting this week in New York City. CAA will handle domestic sales, with Brian O'Shea and Nat McCormick handling international sales for The Exchange.

The Last 5 Years is a musical love story for a new generation. Told through emotionally powerful and comic songs from their individual perspectives, The Last 5 Years is a deconstruction of...

Lucky Monkey Pictures and Sh-k-Boom Records announced today Academy Award and Tony Award nominated actress Anna Kendrick and Tony Award and Grammy Award nominated Jeremy Jordan (.Smash,. Joyful Noise ) will star in the film adaptation of Jason Robert Brown's acclaimed musical The Last 5 Years to be written and directed by Academy Award nominee Richard Lagravenese. Lauren Versel, Kurt Deutsch, Richard Lagravenese and Janet Brenner will produce. Steve Norman will co-produce. Steven Meizler, who has worked extensively with Steven Spielberg, David Fincher and Steven Soderbergh, is the director of photography. The film begins shooting this week in New York City. CAA will handle domestic sales, with Brian O'Shea and Nat McCormick handling international sales for The Exchange. The...