News

As part of Collider's Exclusive Preview event, we are thrilled to exclusively debut a new image from The Senior, the upcoming inspirational sports drama starring Michael Chiklis as Mike Flynt — a man who, at 59 years old, suits up to play college football more than three decades after being kicked off the team. Directed by Rod Lurie (The Outpost) and written by Robert Eisele (The Great Debaters), The Senior is based on Flynt’s incredible real-life story. After getting expelled during his senior year, Flynt returns to the same Texas college nearly 35 years later, determined to rewrite his past — and his legacy.

For Chiklis, the role was more than a performance — it was a personal reckoning. “My first reaction was, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me. Fifty-nine years old? Is this even real?’” He told Collider, “And it turns out he really did it,” in reference to Flynt's true story.

Angel Studios has boarded “The Senior,” Wayfarer Studios’ sports drama starring Michael Chiklis, and set the film for nationwide theatrical release on Sept. 19.

Directed by Rod Lurie and written by Robert Eisele (“The Great Debaters”), “The Senior” is based on the true story of Mike Flynt (Chiklis). Thirty-five years after getting kicked off his college football team, Flynt returned to the gridiron for his senior year of eligibility, proving, as the film’s logline explains, “to his family, former teammates, and himself that it’s never too late to tackle your dreams.” Mary Stuart Masterson, Brandon Flynn, James Badge Dale and Rob Corddry round out the cast.

“’The Senior’ is the kind of story that reminds us it’s never too late to defy expectations, overcome regrets, and live out your purpose,” said Brandon Purdie, Angel’s global head of theatrical distribution and brand development. “The Angel Guild resonated with Mike’s inspiring story,...

Read below for network blurbs.

Studio

Sony

It Ends With Us studio — reveling in the film’s $350 million box office haul — announced that it was “fully and firmly” supporting Lively; it’s also making Baldoni’s Eleanor the Great.

Brandon Sklenar

After signing with WME, Lively’s It Ends With Us co-star urged his followers (in All Caps) to read her complaint in a gesture of support.

Ryan Reynolds

The actor and marketing maestro attended the “hostile work environment” summit between Lively and Baldoni while remaining quiet during the controversy.

Public Relations

Vision PR

Home to Lively’s publicist, Leslie Sloane, and Reynolds’, Jami Kandel; Baldoni’s attorney has suggested Sloane planted stories against him (she denies this).

Talent Agency

William Morris Endeavor

The agency — which represents Lively and Reynolds — dropped Baldoni within hours of reports of Lively’s sexual misconduct complaint.

Taylor Swift

Lively’s bestie, name-dropped by Baldoni...

Exclusive: Wayfarer Studios, the independent studio behind this summer’s smash hit It Ends with Us, has set a nationwide theatrical release for its sports drama The Senior, starring Michael Chiklis. Based on a true story, the film will be released by Allen Media Group’s Freestyle Releasing on March 7, 2025.

The Senior tells the story of Mike Flynt (Chiklis) who, 37 years ago, was kicked off his collegiate football team for an altercation with another teammate. Now at 59, Mike continues to carry that burden. But when he learns he still has a year of eligibility, he decides to go back to school to get his degree and try out for the team to redeem his past. Mike slowly starts to earn the respect of his much younger teammates, ultimately leading him on a journey to address his masculinity and resolve his generational trauma put upon by his father, while also addressing...

The Exchange has launched international sales at AFM on Wayfarer Studios’ complete sports dramaThe Senior from Rod Lurie, starring Michael Chiklis and Mary Stuart Masterson.

Brandon Flynn, James Badge Dale, and Rob Corddry round out the key cast on the story of 59-year-old Mike Flynt (Chiklis), who returns to the gridiron in his senior year of eligibility to prove to himself and his loved ones that he still has what it takes, years after he was kicked off his college American Football team.

Mark Ciardi and Campbell McInnes (A Million Miles Away) of Select Films produced with Justin Baldoni and...

The Real L Word aired on Showtime from 2010 to 2012. It was one of the first reality television series to follow the lives of a group of lesbian and bisexual women who lived in Los Angeles. The original cast starred me, Jill Goldstein who was my fiancé at the time, Tracy Ryerson, Rose Garcia, Whitney Mixter and Mikey Koffman.

With a successful career behind the lens in entertainment, I’m often asked why Jill and I chose to put our lives on camera. The answer is simple: Seeing relatable stories and experiences on television can be validating and empowering.

As our narrative in the series was about wedding planning (which was legally unrecognized and unlawful in 2010 in California), we told our story to be seen and heard, to be visible outside of our community, to normalize our love for one another as no different than a traditional union between a man and a woman.

Click here to read the full article.

A live-action film is in development based on the classic arcade game with an endless appetite, Pac-man.

The project hails from Bandai Namco Entertainment — the company behind Pac-man, as well as games like Galaga and Tekken — and Wayfarer Studios, the production company founded by Justin Baldoni and Steve Sarowitz.

First introduced in the U.S. in 1980 — and originally called Puck Man in Japan — Pac-man became a coin-operated staple. The game is set in mazes where Pac-Man has to eat pellets while being pursued by colorful ghosts as the mazes get progressively more difficult.

The game begat merchandise, several sequel games like Ms. Pac-man, as well as two television series, including a Hanna–Barbera produced ABC series and a Disney Xd take.

The project will be based on an original idea from Chuck Williams (Sonic the Hedgehog) of Lightbeam Entertainment. Baldoni, Manu Gargi and...

Exclusive: Mary Stuart Masterson (Blindspot), Rob Corddry (The Unicorn), Brandon Flynn (13 Reasons Why), Corey Knight (We Are Who We Are) and Terayle (Judas and the Black Messiah) are joining Michael Chiklis in The Senior, a football drama that Rod Lurie is directing from a screenplay by Bob Eisele (The Great Debaters), which is entering production in Texas this fall.

The film from Wayfarer Studios and Select Films is based on the true story of Mike Flynt (Chiklis), who was kicked off his collegiate football team 37 years ago for an altercation with another teammate. Now, at age 59, Mike decides to go back to college to finish his degree and try out for the varsity team in an attempt to redeem his past.

Masterson will play Mike’s wife Eileen, a voice of reason who offers tough love, while supporting her husband’s dream.

Corddry will play Sam Weston,...

Los Angeles-based film and TV studio Wayfarer Studios has made two key hires in scripted and unscripted content.

Founded by actor and producer Justin Baldoni and entrepreneur Steve Sarowitz in 2019, the company has brought on Tracy Ryerson as senior vice president of scripted development and production and Endyia Kinney-Sterns as senior vice president of unscripted development and production.

“As Wayfarer Studios continues to grow, we are so excited to welcome Tracy and Endyia into our family, both exceptional women with incredible experience and expertise to further advance our slate of projects and studio partnerships,” said Baldoni. “We are a new studio in this unique Wild West inflection point of film and content creation, and we couldn’t be more excited to expand and learn with Tracy and Endyia’s expertise helping to guide the way.”

The studio recently produced the Disney Plus original film “Clouds”

Ryerson joins from her previous...

Exclusive: Chicago’s first Black mayor Harold Washington, an influential figure to politicians including President Barack Obama, is getting the TV treatment.

Ike Holter, a writer on FX’s Fosse/Verdon, is penning a limited series about Washington for Wayfarer Studios, the production company founded by Jane The Virgin star Justin Baldoni, who produced and directed Disney+’s Clouds, and billionaire Paylocity founder Steve Sarowitz.

The untitled series is based on Gary Rivlin’s book Fire on the Prairie, which was published in 1992.

It will tell the story of Washington, who toppled political corruption and empowered an entire community of Black voters during the city’s quickly changing landscape of the 1980s.

In a move that echoes Stacy Abrams’ work in Georgia, Washington was able to win the Democratic mayoral primary by registering hundreds of thousands of new voters, including a coalition with Latino reformed gang Young Lord. This multiracial coalition...

Exclusive: Fabula, producer of Oscar-winning film A Fantastic Woman, has tapped Tracy Ryerson as Head of Film & TV of the company’s North American office. In her role, Ryerson is responsible for overseeing Fabula’s foray into English language features and TV, as well as managing the company’s first-look deal with global TV producer Fremantle.

“We met with many qualified candidates but Tracy stood out immediately. We’re incredibly excited about her unique sensibility and look forward to having her on the team” said Fabula co-founder Juan de Dios Larraín.

Prior to starting at Fabula, Ryerson worked as Head of TV for Rare Birds Productions, the prodco of actors Ian Somerhalder and Nikki Reed, under the company’s deal with Warner Bros. TV. Ryerson previously served stints with Hollywood veterans Caryn Mandabach and before that, Jerry Weintraub, where she worked on projects such as Peaky Blinders, Oceans 13, Westworld, Nancy Drew and Tarzan.

As The Vampire Diaries is coming to an end, star Ian Somerhalder is extending his relationship with the studio behind the CW drama. Somerhalder and Nikki Reed’s Rare Birds Productions has signed a pod deal with Warner Bros Television. Under the new pact, the production company run by Tvd star and his actress wife Reed will produce new series projects for Wbtv and be housed on the Warners lot. Rare Bird also announced it has hired Tracy Ryerson as Evp and Arianne Staples…...

Tags: Kiss Her I'm Famoustellofilmsweb seriesThe Real L WordWAPIMDbTracy RyersonRolla SelbakIlea Matthews

What Ben & Jerry's is to breakup snack food, Kiss Her, I'm Famous is to breakup television. Only, it's not really on your TV. Tello Films' new web series, which stars The Real L Word's Tracy Ryerson and was created by Three Veils' Rolla Selbak, is a satirical semi-love story that is sweet and delicious and will have you reaching for a second helping.

The five-episode series follows two best friends who decide to cope with their own break-ups by making a sex tape that will make them famous while making their exes "regret their shit choices." You know where the story is heading right from the start, but watching it unfold is a treat.

I confess to not being drawn into the premise when I first heard it. I've never seen a full episode of The Real L Word,...

Tags: Naya Riveramarriage equalityLana Del ReyCate BlanchettIMDbFranceThe Jeff Probst Show

Good afternoon everyone!

Happy birthday to Jamie King, Judy Davis, Valerie Bertinelli, Jan Hooks and Joyce "Janet Wood" DeWitt!

Rave reviews are in for Fiona Shaw’s performance in The Testament of Mary. Shaw’s one-woman show can be seen at the Walter Kerr Theatre in New York through June 16.

I'm loving Lana Del Rey's new song for The Great Gatsby soundtrack. What do you think?

On yesterday’s Jeff Probst Show, Ufc Champion Ronda Rousey demonstrated her infamous "armbar" move on yours truly. (Fast forward to the 5:30 mark to see Rousey kick my ass.)

A Pennsylvania principal has banned a trans teen from running for prom king. Issak Oliver Wolfe, a senior at Red Lion Area Senior High School in York, Pa, has been widely embraced by his classmates and teachers and opted to run for prom king.

About two years ago, I interviewed some amazing friends who work behind the scenes in Hollywood. They were (and in some cases, still are) responsible for the creatures in Lord of the Rings and Narnia, the clothes on True Blood, the girls on America's Next Top Model, the "look" of Itty Bitty Titty Committee, and Tyra Banks' production needs. Jealous? Yeah, me, too.

Well, it's been too long since we pulled back the curtain on Tinsel Town, so over the next few days, you'll meet a few more talented women who help bring you the shows you know and love. Beats working a desk job. And... action!

Cynthia Childs, Supervising Producer

Surrounded by The Real L Word storyboards

If you think shaping and telling stories for reality shows is easy, think again. Cynthia Childs knows a thing or two about making the most of what you've got, having story produced shows like Project Runway,...