Author: Uday Kataria

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‘Star Wars: The Acolyte’ Season 1 Discussion (Cosmic Circle Podcast Ep. 58)

After seven weeks of mystery, The Acolyte has wrapped up its first season on Disney+. Set during the end of the High Republic era, this Star Wars series was the first live-action show to break out of the Skywalker-dominated time period viewers often find themselves in. Between secret twins, sexy Sith, and the Jedi Order’s shockingly poor decision-making, The Acolyte was

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‘The Acolyte’ Introduces Viewers to a New Era of ‘Star Wars’

Star Wars returns to Disney+ today with the two-episode premiere of The Acolyte. Created by Leslye Headland and starring Amandla Stenberg, The Acolyte introduces viewers to an entirely new era of live-action Star Wars. I attended a Fandango-exclusive fan screening of the first two episodes, excited to see what the past of the Star Wars galaxy looks like. Set 100 years

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On Location at the ‘Doctor Who: The Devil’s Chord’ Premiere Event

Disney kicked off the latest season of Doctor Who in extravagant style on Wednesday night with a red carpet premiere in the heart of Hollywood. Starring Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson as the 15th Doctor and his latest companion, Ruby Sunday, the revamped series debuts today on Disney+.  Hosted at NeueHouse Hollywood, the screening was preceded by a small Doctor Who

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Taylor Zakhar Perez Breaks Down ‘Red, White & Royal Blue’

Red, White & Royal Blue was a smash hit on Prime Video last summer. The popular film has become one of the most successful mainstream entertainment projects spotlighting an LGBTQ+ couple. At last week’s Deadline Contenders Television 2024, star Taylor Zakhar Perez and producer Sarah Schechter shed some light on the movie’s production during a short panel.   [Editor’s note: quotes have

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‘Challengers’ is Zendaya’s Artistic Tour de Force

Last week, I attended a Challengers press screening at the Amazon MGM Studios headquarters in Beverly Hills, California. Luca Guadagnino’s latest film spotlights three characters tangled in messy relationships amid a backdrop of tennis championships. Anchored by stellar performances from Zendaya, Mike Faist, and Josh O’Connor, Challengers is a true tour de force for everyone involved. Haunted by her failed professional

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‘Lessons in Chemistry’ Cast Discuss Adapting the Novel for Apple TV+

Lessons in Chemistry was a standout streaming show in 2023, anchored by a strong performance from Brie Larson. The Apple TV+ limited series also starred Lewis Pullman and Aja Naomi King, both of whom played perfect supporting roles. All three stars, in addition to showrunner Lee Eisenberg, appeared at Deadline Contenders Television 2024 to discuss their approach to adapting the novel

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‘Loki’ Stars Tom Hiddleston, Owen Wilson, and Sophia Di Martino Discuss Season 2

Seeing Tom Hiddleston at the Ankler x Backstage Loki Season 2 screening was amazing, but the next day was even cooler! Hiddleston appeared onstage at Deadline Contenders Television 2024 accompanied by Loki series costars Owen Wilson and Sophia Di Martino for a short panel.  [Editor’s note: quotes have been edited slightly for clarity.] Hiddleston, Di Martino, and Wilson on their characters

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Kurt Russell On Sharing Role of Lee Shaw With his Son in ‘Monarch: Legacy of Monsters’

If you listened to our recent Godzilla episode of The Cosmic Circle, you’ll know I absolutely adore Monarch: Legacy of Monsters. The Apple TV+ series expands perfectly Legendary’s MonsterVerse, bringing in exciting new characters and storylines. This past weekend at Deadline Contenders Television 2024, star Kurt Russell took the stage alongside composer Leopold Ross and VFX supervisor Sean Konrad to discuss

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Tom Hiddleston Talks Loki’s Journey and Series Inspiration at Q&A Screening

As the 2024 television awards season kicks off in Los Angeles, Loki season 2 appears to be a strong contender. On Friday April 12th, I attended an exclusive screening and Q&A event with Tom Hiddleston, hosted by The Ankler and Backstage.  Held at the Harmony Gold Theater in downtown L.A., attendees watched the final two episodes of the season on the

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‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ At the Variety Artisans Screening Series

In February, I was lucky enough to be invited to a screening of Martin Scorsese’s historical drama Killers of the Flower Moon. Taking place in downtown Los Angeles at the historic TCL Chinese Theatre, the screening was followed by an exclusive Q&A with several actors from the film, including breakout star Lily Gladstone! [Warning: Spoilers for Killers of the Flower Moon

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‘Madame Web’ Review: Sony’s Half-Baked ‘Doctor Strange’ Parody

Sony’s ever-expanding Spider-Man Universe continues with Madame Web, the franchise’s first female-led film and the first to feature actual spider-people as main characters. Dakota Johnson stars as Cassandra Webb, a clairvoyant paramedic trying to save three teenage girls from being murdered. While Madame Web teases exciting developments for the future of Sony’s cinematic universe, its sloppy and painfully generic execution pretty

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‘Echo’ Review: Alaqua Cox is the Breath of Fresh Air Marvel Needs

Echo has kicked off Marvel Studios’ 2024 slate with a violent bang. The Alaqua Cox-led series brings many firsts for the MCU. It’s the first Marvel Studios series to be rated TV-MA; the first to drop all its episodes at once; the first to stream simultaneously on Disney+ and Hulu; and it’s the first project (outside of an episode of What

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