Did the Oscar slap hurt Will Smith’s career? For months, there was talk that the controversial violence at the 94th Academy Awards ceremony in 2022 badly damaged the Academy Award-winner’s career, and studios were abandoning ship from his star. Well, the terrific 2024 opening of “Bad Boys Ride Or Die”—$74 million in its opening weekend, $126 million so far after one week—may have suddenly changed all that.

Continue reading Will Smith May Team With Jonathan Nolan & Lisa Joy For A Mystery A.I. TV Thriller at The Playlist.

While you have names like Weiss and Benioff (“Game Of Thrones”), the Duffer Brothers (“Stranger Things”), and Noah Hawley (“Fargo”), there aren’t that many writers/directors/showrunner auteurs in television. However, one recent pair to surface is Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, the creators of “Westworld.” In the middle of their run on HBO’s “Westworld,” the pair signed a lucrative deal with Amazon Studios.

Continue reading ‘Fallout’ Trailer: Jonathan Nolan’s New Post-Apocalyptic Series Stars Ella Purnell, Walton Goggins & Hits April 2024 at The Playlist.

The “Fallout” franchise is one of the most beloved in video game history. Not only is it just a solid franchise with amazing gameplay, but it’s also one of the most mythologically rich franchises in the medium. It’s a video game franchise, much like “The Last of Us,” which just begs to be told in live-action. Well, we’re soon going to find out what a “Fallout” series is like, thanks to the folks at Prime Video. 

READ MORE: ‘Fallout’: Amazon’s Post-Apocalypse Series Directed By Jonathan Nolan Will Debut On April 12

We are just about six months away from the premiere of “Fallout,” and the studio has released first-look images of the main actors in the show.

Continue reading ‘Fallout’ First Look: Jonathan Nolan & Lisa Joy’s New Apocalyptic Series Stars Ella Purnell & Walton Goggins at The Playlist.

After four seasons, HBO’s ambitious series “Westworld” from showrunners Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan is officially ending. “Westworld” was mainly about sentient robots, aka hosts, created for a lavish theme park for the extremely rich where “anything goes.” Eventually, after killing a heap of humans, they make their way outside the park into a dystopian future society.

“Westworld” was actually renewed for a fifth and final season in August, but clearly, under the new leadership of David Zaslav at Warner Bros.

Continue reading ‘Westworld’: HBO Cancels Their Ambitious Sci-Fi Series After 4 Seasons at The Playlist.

Few recent sci-fi programs have premiered with the same fanfare and anticipation as Prime Video’s “The Peripheral,” dropping its first two episodes on the Amazon streamer on October 21st with a weekly rollout to follow. It’s got that Bezos money, the two main voices behind “Westworld,” and source material by the beloved William Gibson (it’s loosely based on his 2014 novel of the same name). And yet, almost from the very beginning, it’s a clunky disaster.

Continue reading ‘The Peripheral’ Review: Prime Video Wants To Transport You To A Dull, Incoherent Future at The Playlist.

Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan may have made themselves known as a Hollywood duo after the success of HBO’s “Westworld,” but soon into that run, they became so in demand that they signed a major deal with Amazon’s Prime Video. At the time, it seemed unclear what that would mean for “Westworld,” but it seems they’ve managed to keep everything concurrently running, “Westworld” is now on season four, and many Prime Video projects are in the works.

Continue reading ‘The Peripheral’ Trailer: Chloë Moretz Does Sci-Fi For ‘Westworld’ Creators Jonathan Nolan & Lisa Joy at The Playlist.

Since the mid-1980s, William Gibson has set a precedent for heady SF novels, with “Neuromancer” and its “Sprawl” trilogy being the ur-texts of cyberpunk. So, how have William Gibson‘s novels never crossed over to movies and TV? Maybe because Gibson’s speculative fiction is too hard to translate to a broad appeal. After all, only two of Gibson’s short stories have made it to the big screen: 1995’s dismal “Johnny Mnemonic” and Abel Ferrara‘s underrated corporate raider tale “New Rose Hotel” from 1998.

Continue reading ‘The Peripheral’ Trailer: Chloë Grace Moretz Stars In New Prime Video SF Series From Lisa Joy & Jonathan Nolan at The Playlist.

The third season of HBO’s “Westworld” was a dour death march as the show’s over-reliance on convoluted twists and turns led it to a place in which it barely resembled the clever sci-fi thriller it was in the first two seasons. Breaking the characters of this world out of the park that gave it a name allowed creators Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy a chance to tell any number of stories, and they arguably lost their way in this vision of the future, diving so deep into its philosophies and technology that they forgot to entertain.

Continue reading ‘Westworld’ Review: Season 4 Tries to Find Its Way Home In Inconsistent But Improved New Chapter at The Playlist.

Amazon is looking to turn IP television into appointment viewing. The streamer is about to debut “Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power” in September and is already looking to take high-profile video game franchises like “Fallout” and “Mass Effect” into live-action brands. And with that in mind, it seems like Amazon has found its lead actor for “Fallout.”

According to Deadline, character actor Walton Goggins of “Justified” has landed an unnamed lead role in the series and is said to be playing a ghoul, a type of mutated humanoid from the game.

Continue reading ‘Fallout’: Walton Goggins To Lead Amazon’s Post-Apocalypse Series at The Playlist.

Over at HBO, the network is diving into the post-apocalyptic video game adaptation business with the upcoming TV series “The Last of Us.” Not to be outdone, it appears Amazon is ready to get the ball officially rolling on its own post-apocalyptic video game adaptation with “Fallout,” and the streaming platform thinks Jonathan Nolan is the right Nolan to direct.

Continue reading ‘Fallout’: Jonathan Nolan Will Produce & Direct Amazon’s TV Adaptation Of The Videogame Franchise at The Playlist.

Lisa Joy hardly needs an introduction. Having entered television as a writer on Bryan Fuller’s beloved series “Pushing Daisies,” Joy went on to write a whopping 19 episodes of “Burn Notice” before, in 2016, co-creating HBO’s “Westworld” with her husband, Jonathan Nolan. Having now guided the dystopian sci-fi series through three critically acclaimed seasons, Joy found herself in the director’s chair for the first time, directing the season two episode “The Riddle of the Sphinx.” “I learned a lot about my directorial style,” said Joy about her work on the episode, “which is, before I even start prep, I normally have the whole [episode/movie] cut together in my head.

Continue reading Lisa Joy Talks ‘Reminiscence,’ The Future Of ‘Westworld,’ ‘Blade Runner’ & More [The Fourth Wall Podcast] at The Playlist.

Nostalgia is a lie, but it’s true that they don’t make studio movies quite like they used to. It’s a common lament that non-IP influenced, original screenplays, and movies with smart-thinking, sexy lead adults aren’t as supported by the major studios as they once were. Enter “Reminiscence,” with its unabashed old soul and classic appetite for what makes a great Hollywood tale. It’s all about gorgeous movie stars intertwined, mysteries that throw characters into emotional labyrinths, and rich, practical production design that makes a Hollywood set a not-too-fantastical reflection of the real world.

Continue reading ‘Reminiscence’: Lisa Joy’s Nostalgic, Noir-Inspired Gem Is Packed With Intellectual & Emotional Thrills [Review] at The Playlist.

Thanks to the critical success of their HBO show “Westworld,” Lisa Joy and her husband, Jonathan Nolan, are an ascendant power couple in the Hollywood landscape. Neither of them is a stranger to success and critical acclaim. Joy made her start in TV writing for two cult favorites, the short-lived resurrection comedy “Pushing Daisies” and the Miami-based spy show “Burn Notice.” Since 2000, Nolan wrote and co-wrote screenplays for his director brother you may have heard of: Christopher Nolan.

Continue reading ‘Reminiscence’ Trailer: Hugh Jackman & Rebecca Ferguson Tap Into Memories With Violent Consequences For ‘Westworld’ Co-Creator Lisa Joy at The Playlist.

If you’re a fan of either Jake Gyllenhaal or Denis Villeneuve, you know that both are creators working at the top of their game right now. You have Gyllenhaal taking some of the most interesting and challenging roles of his career, while Villeneuve is off making ambitious sci-fi epics such as “Dune.” But the two also work incredibly well together, even if it’s been a while since we’ve seen them collaborate.

Continue reading ‘The Son’: Jake Gyllenhaal & Denis Villeneuve Teaming Up For HBO Series From The Producers Of ‘Westworld’ at The Playlist.

While Chloë Grace Moretz has never been shy about working in genre films previously, as she may be best known for her superhero role in the “Kick-Ass” films, recently, she’s gone for more auteur works, such as “Greta,” “Suspiria,” “The Miseducation of Cameron Post,” and the never-released “I Love You, Daddy.” But lately, she appears to be jumping headfirst into genre yet again with her upcoming film, “Shadow in the Cloud” and a new Amazon series based on a novel from sci-fi author William Gibson.

Continue reading ‘The Peripheral’: Chloë Grace Moretz To Star In Amazon’s Sci-Fi Series Produced By ‘Westworld’ Creators at The Playlist.

“Westworld” may continue to become the source of much debate amongst TV fans, with its seasons varying greatly in both quality and story. But that doesn’t mean that creators Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy are any less in-demand in Hollywood. And it appears that they’re about to begin work on a brand-new series based on one of the most popular video game franchises of all time, “Fallout.”

READ MORE: HBO Gives Early Renewal For ‘Westworld’ Season 4

According to THR, Amazon Studios have teamed up with Joy and Nolan to develop a new TV series based on the “Fallout” video game franchise.

Continue reading ‘Westworld’ Creators Adapting ‘Fallout’ Video Game Franchise For A New Amazon Series at The Playlist.

Though the third season seems to be watched by fewer people than previous seasons, HBO is committed to “Westworld.” So much so, the network has already given the sci-fi series early renewal for a fourth outing, while Season 3 is still airing.

READ MORE: ‘Westworld’ Season 3 Premiere Saw A Massive Viewership Decline From Season 2

HBO has announced that Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy are returning to tell another season’s worth of stories for “Westworld” in the future.

Continue reading HBO Gives Early Renewal For ‘Westworld’ Season 4 at The Playlist.

If you’re one of the viewers that have stuck around to watch Season 3 of “Westworld” (a not-so-large number, apparently), then you were probably surprised to see a special addition to the cast of the sci-fi series in last night’s episode. A character appeared that has his roots in another HBO megaseries, and his appearance in the newest “Westworld” episode has fans curious about what’s to come.

READ MORE: ‘Westworld’ Season 3 Premiere Saw A Massive Viewership Decline From Season 2

**Spoiler for episode 2 of “Westworld” Season 3**

Last night, a dragon appeared in “Westworld.” But not just any dragon.

Continue reading George R.R. Martin Wanted A Much Bigger ‘Thrones’ Presence In Last Night’s ‘Westworld’ at The Playlist.

HBO’s “Westworld” took the stage at the recent San Diego Comic-Con to present the first real look at Season 3 of Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan’s high concept, mind-bending, sci-fi phenomenon. The trailer, which seemingly introduced us to the world outside of the park also clued us in on a WWII setting and the return of Ed Harris’s Man in Black. 

Continue reading Jonathan Nolan Explains How ‘Blade Runner’ Influenced ‘Westworld’ Season 3 at The Playlist.

“Game Of Thrones” is over and long live “Game Of Thrones,” unless of course, you’re not a fan of the D. B. Weiss and David Benioff writing that has torn the internet into a war this final season, in which case, never mind. But the point is, HBO is saying goodbye to its flagship show that has brought them millions and millions of viewers and now they’re looking for an heir apparent.

Continue reading ‘Westworld’ Season 3 Trailer: HBO Teases A Radically Different 2020 Season at The Playlist.

With Sundance entering its final stages (gone too soon!), it’s time to look ahead to the next big film festival, Berlin. And while there are plenty of films to be talking about, Berlin also brings with it the chance for producers to pitch distributors on their next big films. And it appears that one of the biggest to be brought to Berlin in 2019 will be the upcoming sci-fi love story from “Westworld” co-creator Lisa Joy that stars Rebecca Ferguson and Hugh Jackman.

Continue reading ‘Westworld’ Co-Creator Lisa Joy To Write/Direct Sci-Fi Film Starring Hugh Jackman & Rebecca Ferguson at The Playlist.

Since the contentious season 2 finale of HBO‘s hit “Westworld,” fans have been processing, questioning, and analyzing what could possibly come next. The series, which has been a critical and commercial smash since its inception in 2016, will have a third season in 2020. Obviously, that gives devotees quite some time to mull over any negative takeaways from season 2. And as a bit of optimism, season 3will offer a new phase for the series, according to showrunners.

Continue reading ‘Westworld’ Season 3 Will Be A “Radical Shift” According To Showrunners at The Playlist.

It appears like Jonathan Nolan is carving out a pretty nice little place among the bigtime TV creators. After the success of his long-running CBS procedural “Person of Interest,” Nolan and co-creator Lisa Joy successfully have launched a new series, “Westworld,” on HBO. Now, it appears that the duo is back at it again with yet another sci-fi series, this time for a streaming service.

Continue reading ‘Westworld’ Creators Jonathan Nolan And Lisa Joy Team Up For New Sci-Fi Series At Amazon at The Playlist.

Continue reading 48-Minute Showrunner Roundtable With Ryan Murphy, Jenji Kohan, Ava DuVernay, Noah Hawley, More at The Playlist.

The thing about building a mystery box show is that you have to deliver, and actually answer the questions and riddles you set up narratively. And so far, “Westworld” is doing just that. The high-wire sci-fi show continues to unfold its layered story, and just as often has been closing the loops on the various clues and details it has laid out. But there’s still so much more to figure out, and the good news is, the season finale will have plenty of space to do just that.

Continue reading 90-Minute ‘Westworld’ Season Finale Set As Showrunners Promise “Most Of The Questions Viewers Have Will Be Resolved” at The Playlist.