How’s this for a buzzy cast list? Deadline reports that Ayo Edebiri and John Malkovich will star in “Opus,” an upcoming horror film from A24. The movie marks the feature debut of writer-director Mark Anthony Green, and he’s culled quite the ensemble for his first film. Other case members for “Opus” include Murray Bartlett, Amber Midthunder, Stephanie Suganami, and Tantanka Means.

Continue reading ‘Opus’: Ayo Edebiri, John Malkovich, Murray Barlett, Amber Midthunder & More To Star In Upcoming A24 Horror Pic at The Playlist.

Incredibly, the super-talented Murray Bartlett is still on a roll. The Aussie native spent years working in television and film on both sides of the Pacific but outside of a prominent role in HBO’s “Looking,” Bartlett was a bit under the radar even in Hollywood. That all changed when Mike White cast him in the first season of “The White Lotus.” Today, not only does Bartlett have an Emmy Award on his mantle somewhere, but he’s in the running for more awards hardware with acclaimed performances in “The Last of Us” and “Welcome to Chippendales” over the past 12 months alone.

Continue reading Murray Bartlett Is Ready For Another Emmy Moment (Or Two) [Interview] at The Playlist.

Is there a dark secret lurking behind your guilty pleasures? Hulu’s new series “Welcome to Chippendales” reveals the true story of adult entertainment’s best-known dance troupe. The project focuses on founder Somen “Steve” Banerjee, an Indian immigrant who would find success before becoming embroiled in a criminal scandal. Kumail Nanjiani not only stars as the troupe’s creator, but he’s also an executive producer. The actor hopes to continue a streak that has seen him win raves for film and TV work, including this year’s “Obi-Wan Kenobi.”

Nanjiani leads an impressive cast that includes Murray Bartlett, Juliette Lewis, and Annaleigh Ashford.

Continue reading ‘Welcome To Chippendales’ Trailer: Kumail Nanjiani Leads A True-Crime Saga About A Male Strippers Dynasty at The Playlist.

Prickly protagonists are a dime a dozen on TV these days, continuing long after the reign of antiheroes like Tony Soprano, Don Draper, and Walter White ended. On Apple TV+’s dark comedy, “Physical,” Rose Byrne’s excellent performance as housewife-turned-aerobics maven Sheila Rubin runs the gauntlet of the ‘difficult woman’ archetype. In the second season, Sheila continues to be at war with herself and everyone who threatens her future exercise empire.

Continue reading ‘Physical’ Season 2 Review: It’s Impossible To Look Away From Rose Byrne’s Powerhouse Performance at The Playlist.

With the past two decades of TV primarily dedicated to difficult male anti-heroes, “Physical” is the kind of show that’s flipping the script. The dark comedy series set around the 1980s fitness explosion earned plaudits from critics for its empathetic focus on female insecurities. Now, Apple TV+ has dropped the trailer for a sophomore season, promising a precipitous rise for its newly empowered protagonist.    

Rose Byrne will reprise her leading role as Sheila Rubin, a troubled San Diego housewife-turned-aerobics instructor extraordinaire.

Continue reading ‘Physical’ Season 2 Trailer: Rose Byrne Battles for Survival of the Fittest in Apple TV’s Dark Comedy Series at The Playlist.

Mike White returns to HBO on July 11, eight years after the end of his brilliant “Enlightened,” with the tropical dramedy “The White Lotus,” an engaging 6-episode series that has a great cast, smart dialogue, and just enough laughs, even if it feels a little unable to transcend its set-ups every now and then. Perhaps more damagingly for its potential to reach a larger audience, it asks people to spend a great deal of time with a group of relatively unlikable people (one of whom may be the most toxically abrasive person on TV this year).

Continue reading ‘The White Lotus’: Mike White Returns To HBO With A Mild, But Breezy Tropical Dramedy [Review] at The Playlist.