‘The Serpent Queen,’ Starring Samantha Morton as Catherine de Medici, Doesn’t Need Its ‘Twists’ to Work: TV Review

Marsai Martin, the sports fantasy film follows Callie A. Coleman (Martin), who discovers that she can magically control her father’s (Omari Hardwick) performance as a running back for the Atlanta Falcons. Along with Martin and Hardwick, the film stars Kelly Rowland, Rome Flynn, Elijah Richardson, Hanani Taylor, Abigail Killmeier, Tyla Harris and Isac Ivan. “Fantasy Football” is produced in partnership with The SpringHill Company and Genius Entertainment. Based on an original screenplay by Richard T. Jones, Jeremy Loethen and Tim Olgetree, the film is directed by Anton Cropper and written by Zoe Marshall, Dan Gurewitch and David Young. LeBron James, Spencer Beighley, Jamal Henderson, Marsai Martin, Joshua Martin and Timothy Bourne produce, while Maverick Carter and Jamila Jordan-Theus serve as executive producers.

Brendan Fraser will be honored at this year’s Santa Barbara International Film Festival for his decades’ worth of contributions to American cinema. Going into the 38th annual festival, he is the 2023 recipient of its American Riviera Award. Fraser will attend the event on Feb.

Gearing up for phase two of the Oscar season even before we have even scratched the surfaces of phase one, the Santa Barbara Film Festival said Tuesday that The Whale star Brendan Fraser will be the recipient of its American Riviera Award on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2023.

Caroline Framke Chief TV Critic It takes six episodes for “Dahmer — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story” (yes, that is indeed the show’s full name) to meaningfully expand beyond the scope of either the serial killer or Evan Peters’ portrayal of him. In that episode, “Silenced,” directed by Paris Barclay and written by Janet Mock and David McMillan, the story of Dahmer victim Tony Anthony Hughes comes to the forefront. Tony (played with warm charm by “Deaf U” alum Rodney Burford) was a gregarious aspiring model with a big heart. He was Deaf, Black, gay, a great dancer. His friends and mother (a moving Karen Malina White) loved him very much. With every moment Burford gets to give Tony new life, the inevitable end of “Silenced” becomes all the more harrowing, and the cops’ inaction to find the truth all the more infuriating. But as the show’s nonsensical maze of a title suggests, this episode is an exception rather than the rule. Otherwise, Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan’s new Netflix series is a grim, sepia-toned slog that rarely justifies its own existence.

Claire Foy and Matt Smith are paying tribute to Queen Elizabeth II. In the days since her death on Sept. 8, both of the actors, who starred on Netflix's as Queen Elizabeth and her late husband, Prince Philip, respectively, have spoken out about the late monarch in interviews. «I think that she was an incredible monarch,» Foy told  BBCat the Toronto Film Festival.

In recent years, Starz has built a cottage industry off of the success of “Outlander.” If it’s historical, sexy, and deals with some type of palace intrigue that doesn’t include dragons or elves, there’s a good chance that it’s ending up on Starz.

Willow Smith has opened up about her relationship with her father Will Smith in a new interview. The singer, 21, is the youngest child of Will and Jada Pinkett Smith. The couple also share a son, Jaden, who is 24.

FilmNation TV UK has hired a key BBC Studios drama exec as it builds out its slate. Martin Rakusen has joined Creative Director Kirstie Macdonald’s team as COO.

Catherine de Medici, a one-time queen of France and a member of the iconic Italian noble family.The drama — which premiered Sept. 11 — follows Catherine in her teen years and into adulthood as she rises to power in the French court.The “Minority Report” actress, 45, noted how her character is a mixture of mob bosses and the British dramedy “Fleabag.”“Catherine is like a male character,” Morton told Entertainment Weekly in a profile published Sunday. “We wanted to approach her like you would ‘The Godfather’ or Don Corleone.

A sexual assault complaint has been filed against Puerto Rico pop star Ricky Martin, who recently sued his nephew over what he said were false allegations of sexual abuse.

Historical figure Catherine de Medici gets the period-drama-with-a-twist treatment in Starz’s “The Serpent Queen,” as the show finds a unique way to tell the story of the Italian-born French queen, who influenced the politics of her adopted nation for decades. Starring Samantha Morton as the grown-up queen, Catherine tells her story to a young woman employed in the kitchen at her court – Rahima (Sennia Nanua) – explaining to her (and the audience) how she’s survived, found agency and even thrived in a court initially unfriendly to a young Catherine (played by Liv Hill), and always dangerous. But while breaking the fourth wall, or at least turning and talking to camera, which often stands in for Rahima, may feel fresh for a television series, it is inspired by classic theater works.“Direct address, it’s been around since the ancient Greeks and Shakespeare, but it makes something incredibly urgent,” executive producer Justin Haythe told TheWrap.

“This holds a treasure of utmost importance. I thought about destroying it a billion times to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands.” So begins the official trailer for National Treasure: Edge of History, the upcoming Disney+ series based on the hit film franchise. The trailer was unveiled Saturday by series star Catherine Zeta-Jones and her fellow cast members during Disney Branded Television’s presentation at the D23 Expo in Anaheim, CA. The series premieres Wednesday, December 14 with the first two episodes.

Ricky Martin will make sure to clean his name and now has taken legal action against his nephew. Months ago, a judge in Puerto Rico dismissed all accusations and temporarily lifted the previous restraining order on the singer after Dennis Sanchez Martin accused him of harassment, claiming a romantic relationship.“The situation has continued despite the defendant voluntarily withdrawing from an action he had commenced against Plaintiff based on falsehoods, during which he admitted under oath that he had never been sexually assaulted by Plaintiff,” Martin’s lawyers wrote in the docs, as reported by People.According to the 50-year-old star’s complaint, Sanchez Martin — son of Ricky Martin’s sister — got upset because the singer didn’t follow him on social media and “ignored” him when he requested to create a social media account for his three children.

Just over a month after Ricky Martin escaped a restraining order or potential felony charges over sex abuse allegations in Puerto Rico, the “Livin’ La Vida Loca ” singer now has struck back with a $20 million lawsuit against his accusing nephew.

previously accused the Latin singer of abuse — to the tune of $20 million.The “La Vida Loca” singer filed suit on Wednesday in San Juan against Dennis Yadiel Sanchez, claiming his nephew was attempting to “assassinate” the singer’s reputation, according to TMZ.The lawsuit comes after the 50-year-old singer was slapped with accusations that he was romantically involved with Sanchez, and allegedly harassed the young man after their relationship ended.In July, Martin’s 21-year-old nephew claimed he was a victim of domestic abuse and incest at the hands of Martin and was granted a restraining order against the singer.Martin’s attorney denied the “disgusting” and “untrue” accusations, saying the accuser has “mental health challenges.” Eventually, the case against Martin was dropped, but according to the latest legal action taken by Martin, Sanchez hasn’t stopped there.In fact, Martin claimed one month after Sanchez withdrew the restraining order, that he bombarded Martin with messages via social media, TMZ reported. He even vowed to “assassinate his reputation and integrity” if Martin didn’t cough up some money.Sanchez once boasted about being Martin’s nephew, the new lawsuit alleges — that is, before he made claims of incest and domestic violence.

Playwright and filmmaker Martin McDonagh is up to more deliciously fiendish tricks in The Banshees of Inisherin, a simple and diabolical tale of a friendship’s end shot through with bristling humor and sudden moments of startling violence. It world premieres in competition at the Venice Film Festival Monday. Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson and the small handful of supporting players make the most of the author’s vibrant prose in McDonagh’s first film since Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri five years ago.

The mordantly comedic assault on the politics of revenge used to be the province of English/Irish playwright turned filmmaker Martin McDonagh. In more recent years, the writer/director has turned his probing eye towards compassion, forgiveness, and redemption and the unanswerable question of whether his problematic protagonists are worthy of either.

EXCLUSIVE: Samantha Morton (The Walking Dead) is to lead Paramount+’s Burning Girls alongside Bridgerton star Ruby Stokes, Deadline can reveal.