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Harry Potter Reboot: 5 Actors Who Would be the Perfect Successor to Daniel Radcliffe - Main Image

As casting calls for Max's divisive Harry Potter reboot, fans are wondering who could be the perfect successor to Daniel Radcliffe's performance as the titular The Boy Who Lived.

Well, there are a couple of actors fans are convinced could deliver the same balance of embodying the nerdy-looking Gryffindor hero.

Christian Convery

Christian Convery, who is best known for playing the Sweet Tooth starring role on Netflix, is one of the topmost recommended actors to hail the wizard's role in Hogwarts.

Born on November 10, 2009, the 14-year-old also had his share in the industry by starring in Netflix's One Piece as Young Sanji, voicing Fregley in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid animation, and even joining Disney's Descendants 3 as Squeaky.

Ian Dolley

At the young age of 8, Ian Dolley shined on stage when he...

HBO/Max has released the first official teaser for the second season of The Last of Us, and in addition to featuring some shots that should be very familiar to fans of the second video game, it gives us a first look at several new characters, including Jeffrey Wright as the villainous Isaac and Kaitlyn Dever as Abby Anderson.

We only catch a couple of brief glimpses of the young woman who will go on to become Ellie's (Bella Ramsey) nemesis, but the shots of Abby crawling through the snow while infected attempt to get tear through a chain-link fence suggests that season 2 will stick pretty close to the game when it comes to certain events.

We also see Joel (Pedro Pascal) being asked if he hurt Ellie in season 1 by Catherine O'Hara's (Beetlejuice Beetlejuice) mysterious character, to which he tearfully replies, "no... I saved her."

Check out the promo at the link below,...

Earlier this year, we got a blurry first glimpse of Isabela Merced filming scenes as Dina for the second season of HBO's The Last of Us adaptation. Now, thanks to some new photos from the Vancouver set, we have a much better look at the Madame Web and Superman actress as she patrols the streets with her gun drawn alongside Bella Ramsey as Ellie.

If you've played The Last of Us Part II video game, these photos will probably look very familiar. If not, beware of major spoilers from this point on.

Seriously, these are massive Spoilers - last chance!

Based on these shots, we'd say there's a good chance we're seeing Ellie and Dina shortly after arriving in Seattle in search of Abby (Kaitlyn Dever) and her Washington Liberation Front allies after they brutally murdered Joel (Pedro Pascal).

There's always a chance that the show won't stick rigidly close...

The Last of Us viewers have been patiently waiting for the post-apocalyptic series' return, and the series creators/showrunners have now provided an update.

The Last of Us series, which stars Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey is based on the video game franchise by Naughty Dog and is set 20 years after a viral outbreak turns most of the human race into zombies. Others who appeared in the first season include Gabriel Luna, Anna Torv, Nico Parker, Murray Bartlett, Nick Offerman, Melanie Lynskey, Storm Reid, Merle Dandridge, Jeffrey Pierce, Lamar Johnson, Keivonn Woodard, Graham Greene, Elaine Miles, Ashley Johnson, and Troy Baker.

Read More…...

As production continues on the second season of HBO's adaptation of best-selling survival horror video game, The Last of Us, we have another late casting addition in the form of an Academy Award-nominated actor.

Variety (via GameFragger.com) reports that Jeffrey Wright has signed on to play Isaac Dixon, the character he provided the voice for in The Last of Us Part II game.

This take on Isaac is described as “the quietly powerful leader of a large militia group who sought liberty but instead has become mired in an endless war against a surprisingly resourceful enemy.”

In the game, Isaac leads the Washington Liberation Front (Wlf), who are engaged in a long-running war against the fanatical Seraphites (Scars). Abby Anderson (Kaitlyn Dever) is his most trusted and valued soldier, but she soon begins to question his ruthless and uncompromising tactics.

HBO recently unveiled the first official images from the second season,...

In the year plus since The Last of Us became a Max hit series with Season 1 debuting on the streamer January 15, 2023, the second season has gone full steam ahead in production after the dual Hollywood strike. Exciting developments such as an expanding cast and projected release date were given even before Warner Bros. Discovery’s Upfront presentation in May, where a first look was provided.

The cast of Season 1, which was shot in Calgary, Alberta, included Gabriel Luna as Tommy, Anna Torv as Tess, Nico Parker as Sarah, Murray Bartlett as Frank, Nick Offerman as Bill, Melanie Lynskey as Kathleen, Storm Reid as Riley, Merle Dandridge as Marlene, Jeffrey Pierce as Perry, Lamar Johnson as Henry, Keivonn Woodard as Sam, Graham Greene as Marlon, Elaine Miles as Florence, Ashley Johnson as Anna, and Troy Baker as James.

Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal will reprise their roles as Ellie and Joel...

Four more actors have been cast in The Last of Us TV series for season two. Deadline reports that Danny Ramirez, Ariela Barer, Tati Gabrielle, and Spencer Lord are joining the cast of the post-apocalyptic drama. These new additions join the previously announced Kaitlyn Dever and Young Mazino.

Starring Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey, Gabriel Luna, Anna Torv, Nico Parker, Murray Bartlett, Nick Offerman, Melanie Lynskey, Storm Reid, Merle Dandridge, Jeffrey Pierce, Lamar Johnson, Keivonn Woodard, Graham Greene, Elaine Miles, Ashley Johnson and Troy Baker, the HBO series is based on the video game from Naughty Dog and is set 20 years after a virus turned most of the world’s population into zombies.

Read More…...

The Last of Us is expanding its Season 2 cast, adding Danny Ramirez (Top Gun: Maverick), Ariela Barer (How To Blow Up a Pipeline), Tati Gabrielle (You) and Spencer Lord (Riverdale).

Based on Naughty Dog’s video game, The Last of Us takes place 20 years after modern civilization has been destroyed. Joel, played by Pedro Pascal, a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie (Bella Ramsey), a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone. What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal and heartbreaking journey as they both must traverse the U.S. and depend on each other for survival.

Ramirez will play Manny, a loyal soldier whose sunny outlook belies the pain of old wounds and a fear that he will fail his friends when they need him most.

Barer portrays Mel., a young doctor whose commitment to saving lives is challenged by the realities of war and tribalism.

Note: Watch the full rebroadcast of the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Award livestream on our YouTube channel. Highlights below.

Thanks to the weather gods for pushing the expected rain back by a day, the 39th Film Independent Spirit Awards returned to Santa Monica this Sunday under hot and somewhat muggy conditions, giving way to a gorgeous sunset which began to touch down just as the ceremony was ending. Which is to say, for the first time in years it was not freezing cold in the press tent (yay!).

As in past years, Official Partner Bulleit Frontier Whiskey was back at the pre-ceremony outdoor reception with multiple stations serving custom cocktails, alongside the official beer of these Spirit Awards, Stella Artois. For guests tackling two or three awards shows within 24 hours this weekend (the SAG Awards and the PGA Awards both fell on the same weekend) and dying for a caffeine boost,...

Can you use the Film Independent Spirit Awards to predict the Oscars? That's a risky endeavour, but when you consider that last year's Indie Spirit Best Feature Everything Everywhere All At Once went on to win big at the Oscars, hopes are certainly higher for Celine Song's Past Lives' Best Picture chances come 10 March.

Song also picked up Best Director for her emotional tale of reconnection and regret, While Av Rockwell took Best First Feature for A Thousand And One and Co-writer/director Babak Jalali won the John Cassavetes Award for best feature made for under $1 million for Fremont.

The Holdovers took home the most film gongs, nabbing Best Cinematography for Eigil Bryld, a welcome Best Breakthrough Performance for Dominic Sessa and in what should probably this year be renamed the Da’Vine Joy Randolph Award, she won her latest trophy: Best Supporting Performance.

How To Blow Up A Pipeline...

The rain stayed away from Santa Monica Beach on Sunday (February 25) as Past Lives was named best film and Celine Song best director at the 39th annual Spirit Awards.

While the legacy studio and streamer contenders have dominated much of the big-ticket awards shows this season like Saturday night’s SAG Awards, last weekend’s Baftas, the Golden Globes and Critics Choice Awards, this was a good opportunity for the Oscar-nominated A24 romance and Song to earn gongs for a film which has done well among critics groups since its world premiere at Sundance just over one year ago.

Jeffrey Wright...

Greta Lee and Teo Yoo in ‘Past Lives’ (Photo Credit: Jon Pack / Courtesy of A24)

Past Lives took home top film honors at the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards, held on February 25th in a tent on the beach in Santa Monica. The film also earned Celine Song the Best Director award, with American Fiction‘s Cord Jefferson and May December‘s Samy Burch earning screenplay honors.

On the television side, The Last of Us collected two awards: Nick Offerman for Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series and Keivonn Montreal Woodard for Best Breakthrough Performance in a New Scripted Series. Beef also netted two wins, with Ali Wong awarded Best Lead Performance in a New Scripted Series and the show earning the Best New Scripted Series award.

2024 Film Independent Spirit Award Nominations

Best Feature (Award given to the producer.)

All of Us Strangers

Producers: Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin,...

A24’s Past Lives won the top prize for best feature at the 39th annual Film Independent Spirit Awards, with writer-director Celine Song also winning best director for her feature film debut.

American Fiction’s Jeffrey Wright won best lead performance for his role in the Amazon MGM Studios comedy, presented to him by his fellow Oscar nominee Colman Domingo. “It’s funny, you go to these award shows, and you kind of grow tired of them,” laughed Wright. “And then you get one. It changes the vibe a little bit.”

American Fiction writer-director Cord Jefferson also won best screenplay for his directorial debut. “Our film is so independent that one morning I woke up at our hotel to find out that there had been a triple stabbing the night before in the lobby,” said Jefferson. “They were cleaning up the blood. And I would not have it any other way.

Past Lives was named best feature at the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards, which were handed out Sunday afternoon in Santa Monica.

In addition, Celine Song was named best director for her work on the film.

Elsewhere, Da’Vine Joy Randolph won the Spirit Award for best supporting performance, for her role in The Holdovers, repeating her win from Saturday night’s SAG Awards and other shows this awards season. Her co-star, Dominic Sessa, won the Spirit Award for best breakthrough performance.

American Fiction also collected two trophies: Cord Jefferson won the award for best screenplay, while Jeffrey Wright won for best lead performance.

May December won the award for best first screenplay for Samy Burch (story by Burch and Alex Mechanik). Four Daughters was named best documentary.

On the TV side, Beef was named best new scripted series, while Ali Wong won best lead performance for her role in the show,...

The 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards on Sunday awarded A24’s Past Lives its Best Feature and the film’s Celine Song the Best Director in a ceremony on the beach in Santa Monica, giving the indie romantic drama a boost as it heads toward the Oscars where it is up for Best Picture.

Past Lives topped a marquee Best Feature category that included Netflix’s May December, Amazon MGM Studios’ American Fiction, Searchlight’s All of Us Strangers, Sony Pictures Classics’ We Grown Now and Mubi’s Passages.

“There is a concept in our film, an Eastern concept, and it’s called inyeon,” Song, making her feature directorial debut, said in her acceptance speech with her producers and cast. “It is about how just by being in the same space and time in this life, it means we actually knew each other for many, many lives that came before this one.

The 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards are being handed out Sunday, February 25, from Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica, CA in a show hosted by comedian, actress and “SNL” alumnus Aidy Bryant. On the film side, the nominations were dominated by “American Fiction,” “Past Lives” and “May December,” which picked up five nods apiece. Those three films are up for Best Feature along with “All of Us Strangers,” “Passages” and “We Grown Now.” Best Director is a contest between Andrew Haigh (“All of Us Strangers”), Todd Haynes (“May December”), William Oldroyd (“Eileen”), Ira Sachs (“Passages”) and Celine Song (“Past Lives”).

Of the nominated features, only “American Fiction” and “Past Lives” are also in the running for Best Picture at the Oscars, while none of the nominated directors are up for Academy Awards. However, on the off chance that either “American Fiction” or “Past Lives” manages to take the top prize at...

Gold Derby is backstage at the 39th Annual Indie Spirit Awards on the beach in Santa Monica, CA on Sunday, February 25, hosted by comedian, actress and “SNL” alumnus Aidy Bryant. We’ll bring you all of the up-to-date details on the presenters, nominees and winners. (See the complete winners list here.) Read on for the 2024 Spirits live blog.

The kudofest is streaming live on IMDb’s YouTube Channel as well as Film Independent’s YouTube and Twitter accounts starting at 2 p.m. Pst/5 p.m. Est.

On the film side, the nominations were dominated by “American Fiction,” “Past Lives” and “May December,” which picked up five nods apiece. Those three films are up for Best Feature along with “All of Us Strangers,” “Passages” and “We Grown Now.” Since 2012, Film Independent and the Spirits have forecast 7 of 12 Best Picture winners at the Academy Awards, including “The Artist” (2012), “12 Years a Slave...

Catherine O’Hara has been cast in “The Last of Us” Season 2 at HBO, Variety has learned.

Details on the character O’Hara will be playing are being kept under wraps. She joins returning series leads Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey in the hit series alongside new cast members Isabela Merced as Dina, Young Mazino as Jesse, and Kaitlyn Dever as Abby.

O’Hara is one of the most celebrated comedic actresses in modern times, having first broken out during her time on the acclaimed sketch comedy series “Sctv.” She is best known most recently for her starring role in the comedy series “Schitt’s Creek,” on which she played Moira Rose throughout the show’s six-season run. She received two Emmy nominations for the show, winning the award for best actress in a comedy in 2020 for the final season. O’Hara is also known for her work in the films of...

Catherine O’Hara has joined the cast of The Last Of Us Season 2.

HBO is staying tight lipped about her casting for now, saying only that O’Hara will be guest starring in an “undisclosed role.”

O’Hara is the first guest star to be announced after HBO made several major additions to the cast for the second installment of the post-apocalyptic drama based on the video game of the same name developed by Naughty Dog for PlayStation. HBO recently cast Kaitlyn Dever as Abby, Isabela Merced as Dina, and Young Mazino as Jesse.

The series has become somewhat of a guest star showcase, as Season 1 featured the likes of Nick Offerman, Storm Reid and Murray Bartlett among its guest stars. The first season dominated the guest acting categories at the 75th Emmy Awards with seven nominations. Reid and Offerman took home the trophies. Guest roles in The Last of Us...

The delayed 2023 Emmy Awards are airing tonight, and it might be months since you’ve seen the list of nominees!

The nominations were announced all the way back in July 2023, but due to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes that were happening at the time, the 2023 show was delayed. It normally would have aired in September 2023, but instead, is airing tonight (January 15).

In order to be eligible for this year’s awards, TV shows needed to air between June 1, 2022 and May 31, 2023.

See all of the nominees…

See the full list of nominations…

Outstanding Drama Series

Andor

Better Call Saul

The Crown

House of the Dragon

The Last of Us

Succession

The White Lotus

Yellowjackets

Outstanding Comedy Series

Abbott Elementary

Barry

The Bear

Jury Duty

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

Only Murders in the Building

Ted Lasso

Wednesday

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series

Jeff Bridges, The Old Man

Brian Cox,...

During the 2022 Creative Arts and Primetime Emmys ceremonies, two vastly different age records were broken as the acting victors accepted their prizes. First, 28-year-old Lee Yoo-mi (“Squid Game”) supplanted Samira Wiley as the youngest recipient of either drama guest award, and then Jean Smart (70) improved upon her own oldest comedy actress winner record by clinching a second consecutive trophy for “Hacks.” With one age record having already been smashed at last weekend’s Creative Arts Awards, five more are up for grabs heading into the big primetime show.

Firstly, congratulations are in order for newly crowned Best Drama Guest Actress champ Storm Reid (“The Last of Us”), who, at 20, went from being her category’s third youngest nominee to its youngest winner. In fact, she is the all-time youngest recipient of any guest acting Emmy, also taking that distinction from Lee, who in turn usurped Justin Timberlake. Two more “The Last of Us...

“The Last of Us” has found its Dina, with Isabela Merced joining Season 2 of the hit HBO series.

“Dina is warm, brilliant, wild, funny, moral, dangerous and instantly lovable,” said series co-creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann. “You can search forever for an actor who effortlessly embodies all of those things, or you can find Isabela Merced right away. We couldn’t be prouder to have her join our family.”

Merced is now the third new cast member announced in recent days, joining Kaitlyn Dever as well as “Beef” star Young Mazino.

Dina is described as “a free-wheeling spirit whose devotion to Ellie will be tested by the brutality of the world they inhabit.”

Merced has starred in a number of films in recent years, including “Rosaline” alongside Dever. Her other film credits include the title role in the live-action feature “Dora and the Lost City of Gold” as well...

Isabela Merced has joined the cast of HBO‘s The Last of Us. She is the last of three major additions for the upcoming second season of the post-apocalyptic drama based on the video game of the same name developed by Naughty Dog for PlayStation. The other two are recently cast Kaitlyn Dever as Abby and Young Mazino as Jesse.

Merced will play Dina, Ellie’s new romantic interest and Jesse’s ex. Dina is a free-wheeling spirit whose devotion to Ellie will be tested by the brutality of the world they inhabit.

“Dina is warm, brilliant, wild, funny, moral, dangerous and instantly lovable,” said Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, The Last of Us‘ co-creators, writers, executive producers and directors. “You can search forever for an actor who effortlessly embodies all of those things, or you can find Isabela Merced right away. We couldn’t be prouder to have her join our family.

This year’s SAG Awards nominations for drama ensemble run the gamut in terms of total cast members nominated. You have “The Gilded Age” on one side with a jaw-dropping 34 people represented. And then you have “The Last of Us” on the other side with just two — hi, Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey! HBO’s zombie apocalypse series has now tied the Screen Actors Guild record with “Key and Peele,” which was the first TV show to nab an ensemble citation with just two stars: Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele.

The “Key and Peele” funny duo lost to “Orange Is the New Black” for comedy ensemble in 2016, which had a whopping 34 cast members nominated that year. Hmm, a two-person cast losing to a 34-person ensemble? Might SAG Awards history repeat itself? “The Last of Us” competes this year against “The Gilded Age” (34 cast members), “Succession” (18), “The Crown” (15) and “The Morning Show...

Young Mazino, a breakout star of Netflix’s “Beef,” has been cast in HBO’s “The Last of Us” Season 2. He’ll play Jesse, a character described as a pillar of his community who puts everyone else’s needs before his own — sometimes at terrible cost. Jesse is expected to be a main role in the second season.

News of Mazino’s casting comes a day after Kaitlyn Dever was cast as fan-favorite character Abby. Her character is a co-lead of Naughty Dog video game “The Last of Us Part II.”

Ramsey and co-lead Pedro Pascal are returning for the hit show’s second season. Gabriel Luna, who plays Tommy, has teased a return and whose character plays a bigger role in the game.

Production on “The Last of Us” Season 2 is set to begin in February, with filming on the critically revered and Daytime Emmy-winning show previously postponed due to the since-ended strikes.

Kaitlyn Dever (Dopesick) has joined HBO’s breakout hit The Last of Us. She is one three major cast additions for the upcoming second season of the post-apocalyptic drama, based on the video game of the same name developed by Naughty Dog for PlayStation. Dever will play the most prominent new Season 2 character, Abby, joining series’ stars Pedro Pascal, who plays Joel, and Bella Ramsey, who is Ellie.

When it was revealed that The Last of Us‘ second season will be based on the 2020 The Last of Us Part II, fans’ attention immediately focused on Abby, one of the game’s two playable central characters alongside Ellie.

Dever’s name emerged as the frontrunner for the role soon after the end of the SAG-AFTRA strike in November. She eventually closed a deal with HBO, which is co-producing the series with Sony Pictures Television.

Dever’s Abby is a skilled soldier...

“The Last of Us” Season 2 has officially cast Kaitlyn Dever, Variety has learned.

Dever joins the hit HBO show in the role of Abby, who is described as “a skilled soldier whose black-and-white view of the world is challenged as she seeks vengeance for those she loved.”

“Our casting process for season two has been identical to season one: we look for world-class actors who embody the souls of the characters in the source material,” said series co-creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann. “Nothing matters more than talent, and we’re thrilled to have an acclaimed performer like Kaitlyn join Pedro, Bella and the rest of our family.”

Dever’s past TV credits include shows like “Last Man Standing,” “Justified,””Unbelievable,” and “Dopesick.” On the film side, she has starred in features such as “Booksmart,” “Rosaline,” “Next Goal Wins,” and “No One Will Save You,” the last of which she also executive produced.

Nick Offerman and Storm Reid were big winners at the 2023 Creative Arts Emmys on Saturday, winning guest actor and actress in a drama series, respectively.

Nick Offerman, winning for The Last of Us, was nominated against Murray Bartlett (The Last of Us), James Cromwell (Succession), Lamar Johnson (The Last of Us), Arian Moayed (Succession) and Keivonn Montreal Woodard (The Last of Us).

Reid, also recognized for her work in The Last of Us, was nominated alongside Hiam Abbass (Succession), Cherry Jones (Succession), Melanie Lynskey (The Last of Us), Anna Torv (The Last of Us) and Harriet Walter (Succession).

Reid, accepting from presenter Ernie Hudson, was in tears for her speech, telling the crowd, “I’m such a mess. 30 seconds is just not enough time!” before thanking her team, family and friends, with a special shoutout to her mother. “This is proof you can do anything. I’m just a young girl from Atlanta,...

Saturday night at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards, Nick Offerman (“The Last of Us”) won the trophy for Best Drama Guest Actor. He plays Bill on the HBO drama series, and this marks his first career victory (despite all those heralded years on “Parks and Recreation”) with the Television Academy. He was previously nominated three times for hosting the reality program “Making It.”

After being delayed since September due to the writers’ strike and actors’ strike, the Creative Arts Emmys for scripted fare finally took place on Saturday, January 6, with more awards for unscripted programs being doled out on Sunday, January 7. The official Primetime Emmys ceremony will air on Fox next Monday, January 15 with Anthony Anderson serving as host.

In Offerman’s nominated episode, titled “Long, Long Time,” Bill lives a solitary life on his compound when the epidemic breaks out. But his uneasy quiet is disturbed when Murray Bartlett...

After a three-month delay, the 2023 Creative Arts Emmys will be handed out on Saturday, Jan. 6 and Sunday, Jan. 7. Who will win in some of the most highly-anticipated categories, including the four Guest Acting races? Scroll down for our official odds in 31 races covering animation, nonfiction, reality, variety, documentaries and more. Our projected winners are highlighted in gold.

These official odds for the Creative Arts Emmys are derived from the predictions of our Experts who write about television year-round, our in-house team of Editors, the Top 24 Users who did the best predicting last year’s ceremony, the All-Star Top 24 who have the highest scores when you combine predictions from the last two years and all our Users who make up the largest and often savviest bloc of predictors.

The Creative Arts Emmys are usually a strong bellwether about what series are ahead in the race for the Primetime Emmys, which will...

When the nominations for the 1959 Primetime Emmys were revealed, 13-year-old supporting candidate Johnny Crawford (“The Rifleman”) became the youngest male acting contender in TV academy history and then retained the title for the next six and a half decades. After so many years of his record appearing to be unbreakable, it was finally shattered this summer by Best Drama Guest Actor nominee Keivonn Montreal Woodard, who turned 10 this February. His historic bid for HBO’s “The Last of Us” makes him not only a credit to child actors but also to deaf performers, as no male one had ever earned Emmy recognition before.

Woodard appears in two first-season episodes of “The Last of Us” as Sam Burrell, a survivor of both leukemia and a pandemic-induced apocalypse who lives under the guardianship of his adult brother, Henry (Lamar Johnson). In his submitted episode, “Endure and Survive,” his comic book-loving character forms...

Nick Offerman has been a bit of an Emmys bridesmaid so far, as the versatile actor has been nominated three times in his career but failed to turn any of them into cold, hard wins he can put on his shelf. This year, he earned his fourth nomination — and, surprisingly, his first one as an actor. He was nominated for Best Drama Guest Actor for HBO’s hugely successful video-game adaptation “The Last of Us.”

In the show, Offerman appears as Bill in episode three — “Long, Long Time.” Perhaps the most emotional episode of the entire series, Offerman is front and center of the drama and truly gets a chance to show off his acting chops. Bill lives a solitary life on his compound when the epidemic breaks out. But his uneasy quiet is disturbed when Murray Bartlett‘s Frank stumbles upon the land. Bill is reluctant to help the...

After earning the first Emmy nomination of his career last year for his hilariously shrewd character Stewy on “Succession,” Arian Moayed has nabbed his second bid for Drama Guest Actor for the final season of the acclaimed HBO series. The actor has been a staple member of the ensemble for all four seasons, an old friend of Kendall Roy (Jeremy Strong) who has been both an ally and rival as he’s gone from trying to take over the company with other backers to one of its most influential board members.

Moayed is once again nominated alongside his fellow “Succession” guest star James Cromwell. Aside from the two of them, the category is made up of performers from “The Last of Us”: Murray Bartlett, Lamar Johnson, Nick Offerman, and Keivonn Montreal Woodard.

See Matthew Macfadyen (‘Succession’): Emmys 2023 episode submission revealed

When Moayed competed last year for the first time,...

Just one year after HBO’s “Succession” broke new ground as the first drama series to ever receive four male guest acting Emmy nominations at once, the same network’s “The Last of Us” has matched the impressive feat. Included among those currently recognized for their special appearances on the post-apocalyptic video game adaptation is Lamar Johnson, who has built an extensive acting resume over the past 15 years. Having just turned 29 in July, he ranks as the fourth youngest Best Drama Guest Actor nominee ever and has a shot at becoming the category’s all-time youngest victor.

Johnson’s very first Emmy notice comes for his portrayal of Henry Burrell, a one-time government informant attempting to evade capture by ruthless resistance leader Kathleen (Melanie Lynskey). The actor’s episode submission, “Endure and Survive,” shows that Henry never has much time to dwell on his dire situation as an apocalypse survivor...

Murray Bartlett is having a very special moment. After winning his first Emmy last year, the actor has followed up that victory with not one but two nominations this year as he looks to continue his hot streak. One of those bids this year is for Best Movie/Limited Series Supporting Actor for “Welcome to Chippendales,” while his second comes for HBO’s drama “The Last of Us,” which amassed a whopping 25 Emmy bids. Specifically, Bartlett was nominated for Best Drama Guest Actor for his emotional role as Frank in episode three of the show.

That episode, titled “Long, Long Time,” was touted as one of the very best in the entire series and was certainly the most heartbreaking. The episode flashes back to Frank leaving Baltimore as the epidemic spread. Soon after, he stumbles across a protected compound belonging to Nick Offerman‘s Bill, who, at first, is reluctant...

After a 28-year-old Lee You-mi (“Squid Game”) set a new record in 2022 as the all-time youngest Emmy winner for guest acting, she could be supplanted by Storm Reid (“The Last of Us”), who became a first-time Emmy nominee mere days after turning 20. Like Lee (who isn’t eligible for a repeat win), Reid is seeking the Best Drama Guest Actress prize for her portrayal of a likable, ill-fated character on a new series with a contemporary, dystopian setting. Given her show’s even greater level of TV academy recognition compared to “Squid Game” last year, Reid could very well be on her way toward a historic victory.

SEEStorm Reid (‘The Last of Us’) on being ‘as intentional as possible’ with the Riley and Ellie relationship [Exclusive Video Interview]

Reid appears in one episode of this post-apocalyptic series as Riley Abel, an important figure from lead character Ellie’s (Bella Ramsey) past. The flashback-heavy installment,...

“American Fiction,” “May December” and “Past Lives” shared the spotlight with five nominations apiece to lead the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards announced Tuesday. The trio all landed bids for Best Feature along with “Passages,” “All of Us Strangers” and “We Grown Now.”

“American Fiction” was also cited for its screenplay (Cord Jefferson), for Jeffrey Wright’s lead performance and for Sterling K. Brown’s and Erika Alexander’s supporting work. “May December” also landed bids for Best Director (Todd Haynes) and Best First Screenplay (Sammy Burch) as well as for Natalie Portman’s lead performance and Charles Melton’s support. And “Past Lives” was singled out for Celine Song’s screenplay and direction and the lead performances of Greta Lee and Teo Yoo. See the full list of nominees here.

Next with four nominations apiece were “Passages” and the Alexander Payne-directed “The Holdovers.” Besides its Best Feature bid, “Passages...

Nominees for the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards — the premiere awards event for the independent film and television community — were announced on Tuesday morning by actor/director/writer Natalie Morales and actor/producer/writer Joel Kim Booster, and HBO’s The Last of Us and Prime Video’s I’m a Virgo the TV pack with four nods each.

Netflix’s Beef followed closely with three noms.

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In what is an annual tradition, A24 led all nominations at this morning’s 39th Film Independent Spirit Awards nominations with 11, while the indie studio’s Past Lives, along with Netflix’s May December and Amazon MGM’s American Fiction, each tallied five noms apiece.

The titles up for the Spirits’ marquee Best Feature include Amazon MGM’s American Fiction, Searchlight’s All of Us Strangers, A24’s Past Lives, Netflix’s May December, Sony Pictures Classics’ We Grown Now and Mubi’s Passages.

As of this post, three movies have yet to open: We Grown Now, American Fiction (which goes limited on December 15) and All of Us Strangers (December 22). Passages played the arthouse circuit over the summer, grossing around $551,000. May December is available to stream on Netflix, while Past Lives has made close to $11 million stateside and more than $20M worldwide, a very good gross for a specialty release in the post-pandemic marketplace.

Jamie Foxx, who has been out of the public eye since experiencing a medical emergency on a film set in April, made his first official public outing Monday night during a surprise appearance at the Critics Choice Association’s Celebration of Cinema & Television Honoring Black, Latino & Aapi Achievements.

Foxx took to the stage of the show at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Century City to accept the Vanguard Award from presenter and his The Burial co-star Jurnee Smollett. He spoke for about 12 minutes in front of a stunned crowd after accepting the award, given in honor of his career and his performance in Prime Video’s legal drama.

He got emotional immediately as he began his remarks, saying he couldn’t “actually walk” six months ago. “I want to thanks everybody. I’ve been through something, I’ve been through some things,” he told the crowd, which applauded its encouragement.

The Critics Choice Association’s Celebration of Cinema and Television honoring Black, Latino and Aapi Achievements took place at the Fairmont Century Plaza.

Hosted by Nicco Annan, the night celebrated stars like Edward James Olmos, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Ken Jeong, Jeffrey Wright, America Ferrera, Charles D. King, Eva Longoria, Greta Lee, Colman Domingo, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Allen Hughes, Kemp Powers, Makoto Shinkai, Damson Idris, Jessica Williams, Oscar Montoya, and many more.

The cast of The Color Purple, which included Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks, Fantasia Barrino, H.E.R., Halle Bailey, Phylicia Pearl Mpasi, Colman Domingo, and Corey Hawkins, received the Ensemble Award for their performances in the upcoming musical.

Xolo Maridueña, star of Blue Beetle, received the Rising Star Award alongside The Last of Us star Keivonn Woodard.

Lee Sung Jin was honored with the Breakthrough Director Award for TV for his work on Beef.

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The Critics Choice Association has announced that Edward James Olmos, Sheryl Lee Ralph and Ken Jeong are among the honorees for the upcoming Celebration of Cinema and Television: Honoring Black, Latino and Aapi Achievements. The event will be held at the Fairmont Century Plaza on Dec. 4, with Nicco Annan of “P-Valley” set to host.

Olmos will be feted with the Icon Award for his long-running career, including performances in “Zoot Suit” and “Selena.” Ralph will be honored with the Career Achievement Award for her extensive film and television career, including roles in “Abbot Elementary” and “Ray Donovan.” Jeong will be celebrated with the Comedy Trailblazer Award for his comedy roles in titles like “Community,” “Crazy Rich Asians” and “The Hangover” films.

Read: Variety’s Awards Circuit for the latest Oscars predictions in all categories.

Additional honorees include Jeffrey Wright, who will receive the Visionary Award for his role in “American Fiction...

The Last of Us will be heading into production for its second season early next year with an eye for a 2025 launch.

HBO boss Casey Bloys revealed the news at an event in New York.

The series was renewed in January after scoring the second largest premiere after House of the Dragon since Boardwalk Empire’s launch in 2010.

It comes from Chernobyl creator Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann.

Based on Naughty Dog’s video game, The Last of Us takes place 20 years after modern civilization has been destroyed. Joel, played by Pedro Pascal, a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie (Bella Ramsey), a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone. What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal and heartbreaking journey as they both must traverse the U.S. and depend on each other for survival.

In addition to Pascal and Ramsey, Season 1 also stars Gabriel Luna,...

When the 2023 Emmy Award nominations were announced back in July, it was expected that shows like "The Last of Us" and "Succession" would dominate the playing field. What was surprising to many fans, however, was that the Netflix juggernaut "Stranger Things" was shut out of the series and acting categories. Breakout star Joseph Quinn stole the show with his turn as metalhead Eddie Munson, while Sadie Sink's Max Mayfield was at the center of arguably one of the best scenes in the series' entire run. Well, the reason for the so-called snubbing of "Stranger Things" has nothing to do with the quality of work, and everything to do with eligibility rules.

Back in June 2022, the TV Academy finally got rid of the "hangover episode rule," which made it so series that debuted before the May 31 cut-off could include episodes that aired after the eligibility deadline, but before nomination voting,...

[Editor’s Note: The following interview contains spoilers for “The Last of Us” Season 1, through the finale.]

When “The Last of Us” released its third episode, “Long, Long Time,” reactions surfaced faster than fungi on an infected host. Many (including IndieWire) praised the episode for its aching love story, wherein Bill (Nick Offerman), a survivalist holed up in a makeshift fortress, and Frank (Murray Bartlett), a stranger who wanders into one of Bill’s traps, fall in love and — despite their post-apocalyptic environs — build a life together. Seeing that life unfold marks a pivot (or departure) from the original plot, tracking new characters whose story can stand on its own, even when it eventually loops back to our primary leads.

Not everyone liked it. Today’s day and age of second-screen viewing paired with snap judgements doesn’t always reward atypical TV structure, and “Long, Long Time” faced its share of backlash.

“Some people didn’t like Episode 3 because,...

That sound you heard on Emmy nominations morning was the “Parks and Recreation” group chat blowing up. Three of the cult TV comedy’s cast members were nominated at the 2023 Emmys, making this year’s ceremony a full-on “Parks & Rec” reunion. Amy Poehler is cited for her work hosting the reality show “Baking It” (alongside Maya Rudolph), Aubrey Plaza is up for her supporting role on “The White Lotus,” and Nick Offerman is nominated for his guest stint on “The Last of Us.”

For those keeping track at home, only Poehler earned Emmy love back in the “Parks & Rec” days, which aired between 2009 and 2015 on NBC. She received six consecutive Best Comedy Actress bids (2010-2015) for her role as Leslie Knope, the overachieving department head in Pawnee, Indiana. Poehler also picked up two producing bids when the show was recognized for Best Comedy Series (2011 and ’15.)

Plaza played April Ludgate,...

This story about HBO’s “The Last of Us” first appeared in the Down to the Wire: Drama and Limited Series issue of TheWrap’s awards magazine.

Going into Emmy nominations morning, most Emmy watchers figured that “The Last of Us,” the hit HBO drama series adaptation of the PlayStation video game franchise, would do pretty well. But that doesn’t mean they were expecting that the series, a dystopian road trip through an American landscape ravaged by a fungal infection that essentially turns people into zombies, would land 24 nominations, second only to “Succession” among all programs. Nor was Mazin expecting a congratulatory letter from none other than Steven Spielberg.

“We thought, ‘Hey, we’ll probably get some,’” executive producer, co-writer and co-creator Craig Mazin said in an interview conducted according to WGA strike guidance and coordinated through his personal publicist. “But none of us thought we were gonna get 24 nominations.

It wouldn’t be hard to confuse this year’s Emmy nominees for acting with some sort of Forbes list. The talent across the lead, supporting and guest categories for both actors and actresses in drama and comedy include seven under age 30: Lead comedy actress nominees Jenna Ortega (“Wednesday”) and Ayo Edebiri (“The Bear”); lead drama actress nominee Bella Ramsey (“The Last of Us”), supporting drama actress nominee Simona Tabasco (“The White Lotus”), supporting limited series actress nominee Camila Morrone (“Daisy Jones & the Six”), guest drama actress nominee Storm Reid (“The Last of Us”) and guest drama actor nominee Keivonn Montreal Woodard (“The Last of Us”), who is the second-youngest Emmy nominee of all time. It’s an interesting trend that speaks to the stories that resonated with Emmy voters this year — as well as the work done by casting directors to seek out talent that rivals that of seasoned performers.

If there was any lingering doubt, The Last of Us proved that even the most hard-core genre concept (in this case, a zombie tale adapted from a video game) can become a best-of-class prestige TV drama in the hands of hugely talented creatives — in this case, showrunners Craig Mazin (who made HBO’s gripping Chernobyl) and Neil Druckmann (who developed PlayStation’s The Last of Us game and its sequel). Their tale of a hardened pandemic survivor (Pedro Pascal) transporting a teenager (Bella Ramsey) across a post-apocalyptic America full of danger and destruction earned a whopping 24 Emmy nominations (second only to Succession) and was a major streaming hit (averaging more than 30 million viewers per episode).

Craig Mazin

But perhaps one of the most meaningful accolades came in the form of a simple email. “Steven Spielberg sent an email about episode three [the acclaimed ‘Long, Long Time,’ focusing on a survivor couple played by Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett],” Mazin marvels. “He was...

“I think a lot of people don’t know what we do because a lot is done behind closed doors. And I think what’s great about what we do is that we really are affecting how a movie’s going to turn out, and that’s very exciting,” reveals casting director Victoria Thomas. She earned an Emmy nomination casting the hit drama “The Last of Us” for HBO. It’s a project she says needed the right mix of known and unknown talent to capture the essence of the post-apocalyptic world that viewers couldn’t get enough of. “From the beginning we wanted to have the ability to introduce new actors into it, but also to sort of honor the game and honor the actors who have been a part of it, and also honor the fans,” she explains. Watch the exclusive video interview above.

“This was a process...