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US screenwriter and social justice advocate Lynn Renee Maxcy, known for her work on 'The Handmaid’s Tale', is one of the international guests at Screen Forever, where she’ll discuss writing climate narratives and how writers and producers can collaborate effectively. She speaks to If about the ways her advocacy and screenwriting inform and strengthen each other.

The post ‘I can’t unknow this’: ‘Handmaid’s Tale’ scribe Lynn Renee Maxcy on the intersection of storytelling and social advocacy appeared first on If Magazine.

At last week’s A Day of Unreasonable Conversation held at The Getty Center, entertainment industry members heard from Hollywood and government leaders with varying cultural perspectives.

Jill Biden and Halle Berry at A Day of Unreasonable Conversation

Through thought-provoking discussions, impactful performances, and, at times, emotional conversations, A Day of Unreasonable Conversation surfaced new perspectives on today’s most complex topics to an audience of television writers, showrunners, and executives. Speakers were vulnerable in sharing stories that often do not get heard and urged the audience of TV creators to incorporate these experiences into their work.

First Lady Jill Biden and Halle Berry candidly discussed formerly taboo women’s health topics such as menopause, emphasizing the need for a new approach to women’s health research. Berry shared a personal story about how she realized that she was going through perimenopause, bringing forth blushes and laughter from the audience.

The Television Academy today announced its newly-elected Board of Governors, who will serve two-year terms.

The new members will begin serving their terms on January 1, 2023, running through December 31, 2024. According to the Academy, more than half of those elected are new to the boardroom and represent diverse talent and professions across the industry.

The 16 newly elected governors who will serve their first-ever term are: Bobbi Banks (Sound Editors), Eric Becker; Mary Lou Belli (Directors);Hillary Bibicoff (Professional Representatives); Patrick Cady, ASC (Cinematographers); Lamb Chamberlin (Animation); Megan Chao (Documentary Programming); Tessandra Chavez (Choreography); Yvette Cobarrubias (Commercials); David Hartle (Production Executives); Christina Lee (Public Relations); Robert M. Malachowski Jr., Ace (Picture Editors); Lynn Renee Maxcy (Writers); Eddie Perez (Stunts); Gloria Ponce (Children’s Programming); and Kimberly Wannop (Art Directors/Set Decorators).

Twelve governors are returning to serve a second term. They are: Wendy Aylsworth (Science & Technology); Nikki Carbonetta (Makeup...

The Television Academy announced Friday the 16 members newly elected to its Board of Governors for the 2023–’24 term.

Additionally, 12 governors are returning for a second term, while two governor-elects are returning members to the board after several-year absences.

The announcement indicates that over half of those elected to the Academy’s Board of Governors this year are new to the boardroom and represent a diverse slate of talent and a variety of professions across the industry.

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Inside ‘Dead to Me’ Season 3 and Its ‘Bittersweet’ Goodbye: ‘It Was Like a Tear Fest’

Per the Academy’s release Friday, the 16 newly elected governors who will serve their first-ever term are: Bobbi Banks (Sound Editors), Eric Becker; Mary Lou Belli (Directors);Hillary Bibicoff (Professional Representatives); Patrick Cady, ASC (Cinematographers); Lamb Chamberlin (Animation); Megan Chao (Documentary Programming); Tessandra Chavez (Choreography); Yvette Cobarrubias (Commercials); David Hartle (Production Executives); Christina Lee (Public Relations); Robert M. Malachowski Jr.,...

There’s a new Board in town. The Television Academy is set to reveal the names of the newly-elected governors who will serve a two-year term. Many are first-timers. The approximately 70 board members include two representatives from each of the Academy’s approximately 31 peer groups, as well its officers.

The members announced on Friday will serve two-year terms between Jan. 1, 2023, and Dec. 31, 2024. Per the Academy, “More than half of those elected are new to the Academy’s boardroom and represent diverse talent and professions across the industry.”

Here are the returning Board of Governors members, back for a second term, and the peer group they represent: Wendy Aylsworth (Science & Technology); Nikki Carbonetta (Makeup Artists/Hairstylists); Tony Carey (Producers); Jill Dickerson (Reality Programming); Jo Disante (Television Executives); Joe Earle, Cas (Sound); Christie Lyn Lugo Leigh (Los Angeles Area); Luke Reichle (Costume Design & Supervision); Jeff Russo (Music); Derek Spears (Special Visual Effects); Kim Taylor-Coleman,...

First film under arrangement will immerse viewers on Martian colony 60 years in the future.

IMAX Corporation and Imagine Documentaries have signed a five-film deal that launches with Mars 2080.

The large-format event film will immerse viewers inside a colony on Mars set 60 years in the future and is directed by Eliza McNitt (Spheres), who co-writes with Lynn Renee Maxcy.

The film is based on a concept by Stephen Petranek, science writer and author of How We’ll Live on Mars. The original concept follows a mother and daughter displaced from Earth by climate change who make the journey to Mars, adjust...

Imax and Imagine Documentaries have formed a five-year production and distribution agreement, a slate which will include movies on the subjects of space, exploration, natural sciences, music, civilization, society and more. The first title to be released under the agreement is Eliza McNitt’s Mars 2080 in 2022, produced by Apollo 13‘s Brian Grazer and Ron Howard, as well as Imagine’s Justin Wilkes. Mars 2080 will immerse viewers inside a colony on Mars set 60 years in the future.

The movie is based on a concept by Stephen Petranek, science writer and author of How We’ll Live on Mars. The original concept follows a mother and daughter displaced from Earth by climate change, who make the difficult journey to Mars, adjusting to life with hundreds of thousands of people from different countries living together and forming a new civilization unencumbered by the mistakes of their past. P&g’s research scientists who are developing sustainable manufacturing,...

Imax has partnered with Imagine Documentaries, the non-fiction division of the entertainment company founded by Ron Howard and Brian Grazer, to produce and distribute its next five films.

The upcoming slate deal covers topics including space, exploration, natural sciences and more. In addition to co-financing the titles, Imax will screen the movies in its high-quality theaters.

“Mars 2080” will kick off the pact, with the remaining titles to be announced soon. The movie, directed by Eliza McNitt (“Spheres”), is scheduled to release globally in 2022.

Based on a concept by science writer Stephen Petranek, the future-set “Mars 2080” follows a mother and daughter displaced from Earth by climate change. The duo makes the difficult journey to Mars, adjusting to life with hundreds of thousands of people from different countries as they form a new civilization. The filmmakers are working with research scientists to creatively predict what existing on the red planet could look like in 50 years.

Eliza McNitt is directing the film that conceives of a colony on the Red Planet, which will be released in 2022

Imax and Imagine Documentaries have set a five-film production and distribution deal, starting with a film titled “Mars 2080” about an imagined look at what a colony on Mars would look like 60 years into the future.

The five films will cover subjects focused on space, exploration, natural sciences, music, civilization and more, and will all be exhibited on Imax’s large-format screens. “Mars 2080” will hit theaters globally in 2022.

“Mars 2080” is based on a concept by Stephen Petranek, science writer and author of “How We’ll Live on Mars.” The original concept follows a mother and daughter displaced from Earth by climate change who make the difficult journey to Mars, adjusting to life with hundreds of thousands of people from different countries forming a new civilization unencumbered by the mistakes of their past.

The Complex: Lockdown Based on the full-motion video game Directed by | Paul Raschid Written by | Lynn Renee Maxcy (The Handmaid’s Tale) Starring | Michelle Mylett, Kate Dickie and Al Weaver Available on Digital/HD October 13, 2020 Synopsis After a major bio-weapon attack on …

The post Watch the Trailer | The Complex: Lockdown Sci-Fi Thriller Starring GoT’s Kate Dickie, Michelle Mylett, Al Weaver appeared first on Horror News | Hnn.

Exclusive: Good Gate Media, the Wales-based production company that is carving out a niche for itself in the growing interactive film market, has lined up its next two feature projects.

The company is coming off the success of The Complex, its interactive film from The Handmaid’s Tale writer Lynn Renee Maxcy that was a hit across various digital platforms earlier this year, achieving the best-selling first week launch of any interactive project.

As Deadline revealed back in June, Doctor Who star Mandip Gill and Vikings actress Georgia Hirst lead the cast of Five Dates, Good Gate’s next feature, which shot this summer and will release on 27th October on Playstation, Nintendo, Xbox and Steam.

Now, the company has set cast and financed two further inactive features, both of which begin production within the next week.

The Night Book will star Julie Drey (Avenue 5), Colin Salmon (Resident Evil), Mark Wingett...

The company has also picked up ‘The Complex – Lockdown’.

UK-based sales agent 101 Films International has added two projects to its slate ahead of the Cannes virtual market, including Mickey Rourke action thriller Take Back.

The film will commence principal photography on a five-week shoot in California in early July, produced by Mike Hatton for Ton Of Hats with 101 Films’ Andy Lyon and Michael Walker.

101 Films is executive producing the title with Head Gear Films.

Directed by Christian Sesma and written by Zach Zerries, it centres on a couple living the perfect small-town life when a mysterious stranger from the past kidnaps their daughter.

The Complex is an interactive film. Similar to Netflix's "Bandersnatch," viewers/players can choose how the story progresses. A multi-team production, The Complex's story takes place after a chemical attack. Deep underground, a doctor struggles with a scientific secret. From director Paul Raschid (White Chamber) and writer Lynn Renee Maxcy ("The Handmaid's Tale"), this title stars: Michelle Mylett (Bad Blood), Kate Dickie ("Game of Thrones"), Al Weaver and Leah Viathan. The Complex is out now and film or game fans can preview the story's features here. This interactive film offers eight different endings. Each ending can be reached based on the choices you make, in the narrative. This interactive media also tracks how you get-along (or don't) with other characters, while monitoring your personality for: openness, extroversion, agreeableness etc. Finally, special features are revealed, based on your play style. The Complex has already released this week (March 31st). The film can be.

The Bong Joon Ho and Han Jin Won-penned South Korean class thriller “Parasite” won Best Original Screenplay and Taika Waititi’s Nazi satire “Jojo Rabbit” won Best Adapted Screenplay at the Writers Guild Awards Saturday night.

The annual awards, which honor the best in film, TV, and radio writing, were handed out at dual ceremonies in New York and Los Angeles.

Both “Parasite” and “Jojo Rabbit” are in the running for Oscars in their respective categories.

“Parasite” bested three Best Original Screenplay nominees up for the Writers Guild Award: “1917,” “Knives Out,” “Marriage Story,” and “Parasite.” The WGA swapped the fifth Oscar-nominated script, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” in favor of a nomination for “Booksmart.”

“Jojo Rabbit” also beat three Best Adapted Screenplay nominees up for the Writers Guild Award: “The Irishman,” “Joker,” and “Little Women.” “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood was a WGA nominee and is not up for the Oscar,...

The Writers Guild of America revealed its winners for the 72nd annual edition of its awards, which were held simultaneously at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles and at the Edison Ballroom in New York City on February 1. About 15,000 WGA members vote on the best writing of the prior calendar year in an array of genres.

But beware Oscar predictors: Often a few film scripts nominated for an Academy Award are deemed ineligible. Only screenplays written under the guild’s guidelines or those of several international partners are allowed to vie for the WGA Awards. That accounts for its relatively low success rate at previewing the eventual Oscar nominees compared to the other guilds.

Among those ineligible for consideration this year are some of the leading Oscar contenders, including the original screenplays for “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” and “Pain and Glory.” The former is by Quentin Tarantino,...

Dead To Me, Russian Doll in running for new series honours.

Writers of The Crown, Succession and Watchmen are among the television nominees for this year’s Writers Guild Awards, unveiled on Thursday (5) by the East and West branches of the Writers Guild of America (WGA).

Joining the three projects in the list of drama series nominees are writers of The Handmaid’s Tale and Mindhunter. Nominees in the WGA’s new series category include PEN15, Russian Doll and Watchmen.

In the original long form category, nominees include the writers of Chernobyl and True Detective and the adapted long form category includes Fosse/Verdon and Unbelievable.

Writers Guild of America West and Writers Guild of America, East have announced nominations for outstanding achievement in television, with Netflix’s The Crown, Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale, Netflix’s Mindhunter and HBO’s Succession and Watchmen competing for the top drama trophy.

The outstanding comedy nominees are HBO’s Barry, Amazon Prime’s The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Hulu’s PEN15, Netflix’s Russian Doll and HBO’s Veep.

Best new series nominees are PEN15, Russian Doll, Watchmen, Netflix’s Dead To Me and FX’s What We Do In The Shadows.

Also announced were nominees in the new media, news, radio/audio and promotional writing categories.

Winners will be honored at the 2020 Writers Guild Awards on Saturday, February 1, 2020, at concurrent ceremonies in Los Angeles and New York City.

Here is the complete list of nominees:

Television, New Media, And News Nominees

Drama Series

The Crown, Written by James Graham,...

“The Simpsons” is leading the way with three Writers Guild of America nominations, followed by two each for “Bob’s Burgers,” “The Crown,” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” “Pen15,” “Russian Doll,” “Succession,” “Veep” and “Watchmen.”

Fox’s “The Simpsons,” which began airing in 1989, scored noms in the animated category for the “Go Big or Go Homer,” “Livin’ La Pura Vida” and “Thanksgiving of Horror” segments. Fox’s “Bob’s Burgers,” which won the category for 2018, received nominations for the “Bed, Bob & Beyond” and “The Gene Mile” segments.

Amazon Prime Video’s “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” which won the WGA comedy series award earlier this year, received nods for comedy series and for the episode “It’s Comedy or Cabbage,” written by showrunner Amy Sherman-Palladino.

The seventh and final season of HBO’s “Veep,” which has won the WGA comedy series award three times, was nominated again in the series category and for the final episode of the season,...

The Writers Guild of America released the nominees for its 2020 awards on Thursday, which saw newcomers “Watchmen,” “Russian Doll” and “Pen15” each bag a pair of nominations.

Other series to get multiple nods include “Veep,” “Succession,” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” and “The Crown.”

Ava DuVernay’s Netflix miniseries on the Central Park 5, “When They See Us” did not recieve any nominations, with the WGA instead picking “El Camino,” “Fosse/Verdon,” “The Loudest Voice” and “Unbelieveable” in the adapted longform category. In the original longform category, the nominees were “Chernobyl,” “The Terror: Infamy,” “True Detective” and the upcoming Disney+ movie “Togo.”

Also Read: Aubrey Plaza to Return as Host of 2020 Film Independent Spirit Awards

Winners will be honored at the 2020 Writers Guild Awards on Saturday, February 1, 2020, at concurrent ceremonies in New York City and Los Angeles.

See all the nominees below:

Drama Series

The Crown, Written by James Graham, David Hancock, Peter Morgan; Netflix

The Handmaid’s Tale,...

Producers John Giwa-Amu and Jade Alexander behind UK project.

Canadian actress Michelle Mylett and Scotland’s Kate Dickie have signed to star in Paul Raschid’s interactive sci-fi film The Complex for UK producers John Giwa-Amu of Red & Black Films and Jade Alexander of Little Jade Productions, which starts shooting in the UK today (Monday April 29).

The film/game hybrid is being made with UK video games company Wales Interactive, which will develop the technology and publish across multiple gaming platforms. The producers are speaking to streaming platforms about hosting the project.

The Complex is written by Lynn Renee Maxcy,...

The Writers Guild of America announced the winners of their 71st annual awards on Sunday, February 17 in a ceremony held simultaneously in Los Angeles (Beverly Hilton Hotel) and New York City (Edison Ballroom). Each year these kudos recognize the best writing of the prior calendar year in a plethora of genres including movies and television. Scroll down to see the full list of film and TV winners for the 2019 WGA Awards, with winners designated in gold text.

Keep refreshing/reloading this page as we’ll be updating live.

Many awards pundits see the Writers Guild as a bellwether for the Oscars, though there’s a catch: oftentimes the Oscar nominees are not eligible at the guild because they aren’t written under its strict guidelines. Thus, Oscar nominee “The Favourite” was not eligible at WGA as this foreign production did not go through the lengthy process of proving its eligibility.

Winners to be announced on February 17 at concurrent ceremonies in Los Angeles, New York.

The Crown, Succession, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story and The Looming Tower are among television series nominated for the 2019 Writers Guild Awards.

The list of nominees announced by the Writers Guild of America (WGA) West and East branches also includes The Handmaid’s Tale, longform projects Castle Rock, Paterno, Maniac and Sharp Objects and individual episodes of Narcos: Mexico, The Affair and Ozark.

Select categories appear below. WGA Award winners will be announced on February 17 at concurrent ceremonies in Los Angeles and New York.

The Writers Guild Awards honor outstanding writing in film, television, new media, videogames, news, radio, promotional, and graphic animation categories. Today the nominees for the 2019 Writers Guild Awards were revealed. Check out the list below.

Television, New Media, And News Nominees

Daytime Drama

Days of Our Lives, Head Writer: Ron Carlivati; Writers: Sheri Anderson, Lorraine Broderick, David Cherrill, Joanna Cohen, Lisa Connor, Carolyn Culliton, Richard Culliton, Rick Draughon, Cydney Kelley, David Kreizman, David A. Levinson, Rebecca McCarty, Ryan Quan, Dave Ryan, Katherine Schock, Elizabeth Snyder, Tyler Topits; NBC

General Hospital, Head Writers: Shelly Altman, Christopher Van Etten; Writers: Barbara Bloom, Anna Theresa Cascio, Suzanne Flynn, Charlotte Gibson, Lucky Gold, Kate Hall, Elizabeth Korte, Daniel James O'Connor, Donny Sheldon, Scott Sickles; ABC

Drama Series

The Americans, Written by Peter Ackerman, Hilary Bettis, Joshua Brand, Joel Fields, Sarah Nolen, Stephen Schiff, Justin Weinberger, Joe Weisberg, Tracey Scott Wilson; FX Networks

Better Call Saul,...

The HBO comedy “Barry” is having a great day. First it reaped three Golden Globe nominations and then it earned another three bids at the Writers Guild of America Awards. At the WGA, it competes for Best Comedy Series writing as well as for an individual episode and for the catch-all Best New Series award.

For the comedy series award, “Barry” faces off against reigning Emmy champ “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” as well as “Atlanta,” “Glow” and “The Good Place.” “Barry” is the only comedy up for the new series award alongside the dramas “The Haunting of Hill House,” “Homecoming,” “Pose” and “Succession.”

Of those four, only “Succession” made it into Best Drama Series where it competes against the final season of “The Americans,” season 4 of “Better Call Saul” and the sophomore editions of “The Crown” and “The Handmaid’s Tale.”

The WGA Awards winners will be revealed on Feb.

“Barry” and “Bob’s Burgers” led the way with three Writers Guild of America nominations each, followed by two each for “The Handmaid’s Tale,” “Succession” and “The Simpsons.”

HBO’s dark comedy “Barry,” starring Bill Hader as a troubled hitman, scored nominations for top comedy series, top new series and top comedy episode with the debut segment “Chapter One: Make Your Mark,” which Hader directed. Hader and Henry Winkler won Emmys in September for their roles in the series, which has been renewed for a second season.

Fox’s “Bob’s Burgers” was nominated for three episodes in the animated category — “Boywatch,” “Just One of the Boyz 4 Now for Now” and “Mo Mommy Mo Problems.” The series is in its ninth season and a “Bob’s Burgers” movie is due out the summer of 2020.

Hulu’s dystopian “The Handmaid’s Tale” was nominated in the top drama series and...

The WGA on Thursday unveiled its nominations for in TV, new media, news, radio/audio and promotional writing for 2018, with writers for Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale and NBC’s Saturday Night Live among last year’s winners to make the cut.

Last year, Handmaid’s Tale won the Drama Series category and the New Series category. HBO’s Succession has that same chance this year in drama, nominated in both categories. Another HBO series, its Bill Hader comedy Barry, was triple-nommed today including in the episodic race.

SNL returns to the Comedy/Variety sketch series category it won last season, this time facing the likes of the final season for IFC’s Portlandia and Sarah Silverman’s Hulu docuseries I Love You, America. Another returning champ, Comedy/Variety Talk Series’ Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, also landed a nom.

Like the Golden Globes earlier today the marquee...

The Handmaid’s Tale takes home two prizes in TV category.

Jordan Peele won best original screenplay at the 2018 Writers Guild Awards for Get Out, while James Ivory won the adapted screenplay award for Call Me by Your Name.

The Writers Guild of America, West and the Writers Guild of America, East handed out the prizes at simultaneous ceremonies in Los Angeles and New York last night (11 February).

Get Out boosted its Oscar chances by triumphing in a strong field including Lady Bird, The Shape Of Water, The Big Sick and I, Tonya. Martin McDonaugh’s Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, which made the Oscar shortlist in this category, was not eligible for a WGA award.

The adapted screenplay nominees mirrored the Oscar list, and included Molly’s Game, The Disaster Artist, Logan and Mudbound.

Jane Goodall documentary Jane won the documentary screenplay award.

On the TV side...

[Editor’s note: Spoilers for “The Handmaid’s Tale” Season 1 Episode 7, “The Other Side,” follow.]

It’s one of the biggest unanswered questions of Margaret Atwood’s novel “The Handmaid’s Tale” — what happened to the heroine’s husband, Luke, after their failed attempt to escape the religious dystopia in which she’s now imprisoned?

Read More: ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Cast Reveals What It Feels Like to Destroy America and Become Gilead’s Power Couple (Spoilers)

For over 30 years, fans of the book have learned to cope with this uncertainty, but in the current Hulu adaptation executive produced by Bruce Miller, we get an answer in Episode 7: Luke (O-t Fagbenle) lives. Not only that, “The Other Side” chronicles exactly what happened to him after he and his wife (named June in the series, played by Elisabeth Moss) were separated. It’s a brutal story of survival that does have something resembling a happy ending — at least, as far as that term can be...