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Michael Flatley, the creator and star of iconic Irish dance shows such as Riverdance and Lord of the Dance, is set to have his life and career dramatized on-screen. As first reported by Variety, the series, tentatively titled Dancelord, is a “no holds barred biopic” that will chronicle the highs and lows of Flatley’s colorful life. It is produced by StoryFirst and written by Micho Rutare (Z Nation), with casting handled by Jessica Sherman (Star Wars: The Force Awakens). Casting is expected to begin imminently. “For every transcendent moment onstage, Flatley endures grueling hours of pain and the loneliness of the road,” reads the official synopsis (per Variety). “Taunted by the media and, at times, doubted by everyone but his fans, Flatley bounces back time and again, dancing from his heart well into middle age and transforming Irish dance forever.” Flatley is recognized for bringing new life to traditional Irish dance,...

Michael Flatley, best known as the creator and star of Irish stage show “Lord of the Dance,” is set to be immortalized on screen with a biographical drama series about his life.

Produced by StoryFirst and tentatively titled “Dancelord,” the series is billed as a “no holds barred biopic” which will chronicle the highs and lows of Flatley’s colorful life.

It has been written by Micho Rutare (“Z Nation”) with casting set to begin imminently. Jessica Sherman (“Star Wars: The Force Awakens”) is on-board as casting director.

“For every transcendent moment onstage, Flatley endures grueling hours of pain and the loneliness of the road,” reads the synopsis. “Taunted by the media and, at times, doubted by everyone but his fans, Flatley bounces back time and again, dancing from his heart well into middle age and transforming Irish dance forever.”

Flatley was born in Chicago where, despite the misgivings of his traditional Irish dance teachers,...

The Casting Society (CSA) announced on Monday that the 38th Annual Artios Awards, set for March 9, will be hosted by Emmy-nominated actress Yvette Nicole Brown. Brown previously hosted the first virtual awards ceremony in 2021 and will be on hand to emcee the organization’s first in-person gala in two years.

“Yvette did an amazing job hosting the virtual Artios Awards two years ago, and we are excited to see her in person and onstage in front of our casting community in Los Angeles,” said CSA president Destiny Lilly. “She is a huge advocate for casting professionals, and we’re thrilled that she’s our host for our first in-person Artios Awards since 2020.”

CSA also announced that Egot winner and 80 for Brady star Rita Moreno will be presented with the Lynn Stalmaster Award for Career Achievement. “Ms. Moreno has an illustrious career and is a cultural icon. We are beyond thrilled...

Yvette Nicole Brown

Egot winner Rita Moreno will receive the Casting Society’s career honor, the Lynn Stalmaster Award, at the 38th annual Artios Awards next month. The org also has set Yvette Nicole Brown to host the ceremony on March 9 at the Beverly Hilton.

Moreno, whose 80 for Brady hits theaters Friday, scored an Academy Award nom last year for Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story after winning an Oscar for the 1961 original. She also received the Producers Guild’s Stanley Kramer Award in 2002. Those are among the latest accolades in a seven-decade career that began with her Broadway debut at 13. She has appeared in more than 40 feature films and countless TV series including most recently Norman Lear’s remake of One Day at a Time. Her documentary Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go For It had its world premiere at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival.

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Exclusive: The horror thriller Your Lucky Day, from writer and director Daniel Brown, has cast Angus Cloud (Euphoria), Jessica Garza, Elliot Knight (Color Out of Space), and Jason O’Mara (The Man in the High Castle) in leading roles.

Rounding out the cast are Spencer Garrett (Dopesick), Mousa Hussein Kraish (American Gods), Jason Wiles (Scream series), and Sebastian Sozzi (Fear the Walking Dead).

Your Lucky Day is a morality tale set on Christmas Eve in a small convenience store near the bottom of the socioeconomic food chain where a hostage situation breaks out over a $156 million lottery ticket. When things inevitably spiral, the film becomes a hardboiled look at how the poisonous heart of the American dream is actually a nightmare.

Luke Barnett is producing along with Adam Baxter. Jessica Sherman is casting director.

Cloud is repped by A3 and Diomi Cordero, Garza by A3 and Circle of Confusion,...

Title: The Comedian at the Friday Writer-director: Brett Ryan Bonowicz Starring: Chris Shields, Chad Jamian Williams, Laura Alexandra Ramos, Jessica Sherman A Los Angeles-set indie flick which recently enjoyed its world premiere at the 14th annual Dances With Films festival, ‘The Comedian at the Friday’ offers up an almost serially listless look at an interesting and creative occupation. Instead of getting caught up in the vicarious or behind-the-curtain thrill of even a fringe comedian’s quirky, atypical lifestyle, an audience watching it is much more likely to go through and ultimately bog down in the first half of the seven stages of grief — denial, pain, anger, bargaining, depression, etcetera —...