A group of screenwriters including Eli Roth, Graham Yost and Amy Chozick have issued an open letter decrying the Writers Guild of America’s silence on last week’s Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel.
In the letter, posted to the blog site Medium, the screenwriters mention the statements already issued by other Hollywood guilds, including SAG-AFTRA and the directors’ guild.
“When it comes to taking a stand, the Writers Guild of America has always led by example,” the statement said. “When employers sought to exploit our work, the Guild bravely spoke up. When the BLM movement took flight, the Guild rightfully spoke up. When the #MeToo reckoning came and Hollywood needed to change, again the Guild spoke up. But when terrorists invaded Israel to murder, rape, and kidnap Jews… the Guild stayed silent. It remains the only major Hollywood union to do so.”
SAG-AFTRA and the DGA were among the Hollywood studios,...
In the letter, posted to the blog site Medium, the screenwriters mention the statements already issued by other Hollywood guilds, including SAG-AFTRA and the directors’ guild.
“When it comes to taking a stand, the Writers Guild of America has always led by example,” the statement said. “When employers sought to exploit our work, the Guild bravely spoke up. When the BLM movement took flight, the Guild rightfully spoke up. When the #MeToo reckoning came and Hollywood needed to change, again the Guild spoke up. But when terrorists invaded Israel to murder, rape, and kidnap Jews… the Guild stayed silent. It remains the only major Hollywood union to do so.”
SAG-AFTRA and the DGA were among the Hollywood studios,...
- 10/15/2023
- by Jeremy Bailey
- The Wrap
Scott Z. Burns’ show about the horrifying conditions of the Earth a few decades from now, “Extrapolations” on Apple TV, premiered its final episode this week, and there’s a lot to learn from the show. The 8-episode series looks into the ways in which man’s actions create a world where man ends up being the biggest sufferer of their wrongdoings, other than the animals and birds, although they’re the collateral damage to man’s greed. Is it all fiction, or is there anything real about the warnings the show makes? Is this the future we’re heading towards?
This is not a rambling after watching a drama series on Apple TV. This is a blueprint for the foreseeable future of the planet Earth within 25 years unless we, the people, take steps about it. When Burns’ “Extrapolations” starts, it’s 2037, and a bizarre montage of the appalling condition...
This is not a rambling after watching a drama series on Apple TV. This is a blueprint for the foreseeable future of the planet Earth within 25 years unless we, the people, take steps about it. When Burns’ “Extrapolations” starts, it’s 2037, and a bizarre montage of the appalling condition...
- 4/24/2023
- by Indrayudh Talukdar
- Film Fugitives
Scott Z. Burns created a series on Apple TV called “Extrapolations” that looks at the dystopic world a few decades from now. However, in this version of the dystopia, the earth isn’t being taken over by machines like in “Judgement Day,” nor is it questioning if artificial beings can be considered organisms like in “I, Robot” or “Blade Runner.” Burns’ vision is far more realistic, which makes it a lot more impactful than machines or apes taking up arms against humanity. It shows what happens to the world when people don’t realize how their actions are leading to the destruction of the planet. Global warming is not a myth; it is happening, and it’s people like Nick Bilton, the founder, and CEO of Alpha Industries, in Extrapolations,” who are the main reasons for that. Bilton is a megalomaniac, and the central focus today is we take a...
- 4/23/2023
- by Indrayudh Talukdar
- Film Fugitives
Scott Z. Burns’ dystopian drama on Apple TV, “Extrapolations,” premiered the finale episode today, and we can say that it’s something to look forward to, at least in this world. It’s the year 2070, and Nick Bilton, the CEO of Alpha Industries, is the primary focus of the episode. We’d first seen him in the very first episode, a young man in his early 20s, full of vitality and an indomitable hunger to make billions. By Episode 8, Bilton is perpetually sweaty, his skin stretched eerily to keep it from sagging, his back hunched, and he’s having a hard time hiding his white hair. He’s old and weak, but his desire to kick the planet where he was born hasn’t abandoned him, and he still looks down on anyone who’s not him. The episode focuses on the case of ecocide—causing irreparable damage to the...
- 4/21/2023
- by Indrayudh Talukdar
- Film Fugitives
Scott Z. Burns’ dystopian drama series “Extrapolations,” about Earth suffering because of the evils of mankind, released its fourth episode this week, and once again, it focuses on a particular aspect of climate change. This week’s episode focuses on the uncontrolled rise in global temperature and the efforts of one brilliant entrepreneur to save the Earth from the earthlings. As is true with the pattern of the series, we witness another time jump in the fourth episode, from 2047 to 2059. The last we saw of the world, the whole of Miami drowned in flood, and the city had to be evacuated, proving people’s plans to stave off the blowback from nature’s wrath would never work. This week, one woman tried helping the earth by undertaking rather drastic measures. Here’s what happened in this week’s episode:
Spoilers Ahead
The Impact Of Global Warming
In the year 2059, US...
Spoilers Ahead
The Impact Of Global Warming
In the year 2059, US...
- 3/24/2023
- by Indrayudh Talukdar
- Film Fugitives
Climate change is the defining problem of our time, not merely for the threat it poses to the stability of our civilization but for how sticky and hard to pin down it is, in conversation or in art. By definition, it’s all around us — the climate is what we’re soaking in, no matter where we are. Its pervasiveness makes it somewhat unimaginable: What would it be like for everything to change? The mind reels; the problem gets put away.
This is one of the challenges facing “Extrapolations,” a new quasi-anthology series that skips forward in time to tell the story of how we might continue to live on a warming Earth. Very few of the series’ characters appear in more than one episode, and very few have more than a flat and easily described motivation — the show works a bit like a breezy and brisk collection of linked short stories,...
This is one of the challenges facing “Extrapolations,” a new quasi-anthology series that skips forward in time to tell the story of how we might continue to live on a warming Earth. Very few of the series’ characters appear in more than one episode, and very few have more than a flat and easily described motivation — the show works a bit like a breezy and brisk collection of linked short stories,...
- 3/17/2023
- by Daniel D'Addario
- Variety Film + TV
The number of great works of art about climate change could be counted, comfortably, on the single hand of a soon-to-be-extinct orangutan. As with all the most pressing issues of our time, the process of converting dismal reality to affecting art is an alchemy too far. It either renders the product sentimental and sensationalised, or indigestible in its over-cooked virtue. Extrapolations, the big-budget AppleTV+ anthology about a world on the brink of ruin, achieves something quite extraordinary: it manages to be both sappy and sermonising.
The action begins in 2037, as fires tear through the Middle East and sea levels threaten low-lying cities. As governments scramble to agree new climate accords (we see negotiators at COP42 in Tel Aviv), tech genius Nick Bilton (Kit Harington; not good for my Seo), and his company Alpha, could hold the key. Their patents for desalination technology would allow a parched Earth some respite – but...
The action begins in 2037, as fires tear through the Middle East and sea levels threaten low-lying cities. As governments scramble to agree new climate accords (we see negotiators at COP42 in Tel Aviv), tech genius Nick Bilton (Kit Harington; not good for my Seo), and his company Alpha, could hold the key. Their patents for desalination technology would allow a parched Earth some respite – but...
- 3/17/2023
- by Nick Hilton
- The Independent - TV
In the opening minutes of Apple TV+’s Extrapolations, a young environmental activist (Yara Shahidi) prepares to make a speech about the need for action on climate change. As she waits for the cameras to go live, an associate casually asks if she needs anything. Her not-at-all casual response: “For people to listen.”
Thus the tone is set for the rest of the series: serious, heavy and mostly lacking in nuance. The urgency of its message is self-evidently important enough that no expense has been spared in delivering it. The cast is star-studded, and the production design lavish. But all this gravitas comes at the expense of the human characters who should be at the center of its stories, turning the series into a well-intentioned but mostly dry series of discussions.
In fairness, if there’s any writer who’s earned the right to expect people to heed his predictions about the future,...
Thus the tone is set for the rest of the series: serious, heavy and mostly lacking in nuance. The urgency of its message is self-evidently important enough that no expense has been spared in delivering it. The cast is star-studded, and the production design lavish. But all this gravitas comes at the expense of the human characters who should be at the center of its stories, turning the series into a well-intentioned but mostly dry series of discussions.
In fairness, if there’s any writer who’s earned the right to expect people to heed his predictions about the future,...
- 3/16/2023
- by Angie Han
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Click here to read the full article.
Writing a show like The Dropout, which follows the rise and fall of Theranos and its founder, Elizabeth Holmes, wasn’t easy, says showrunner Elizabeth Meriwether. Not only was research for the story extensive, given its scientific nature, but Covid-19 also delayed the project by three years, and Holmes’ trial started while Meriwether was finishing the script.
“It was definitely a lot of research, but if you spoke to anybody who’s done a true story, I think there’s just a moment when you have to put [things] aside — you learn a lot of stuff and then you have to think about what the story is that you want to tell. It’s always that push-pull of what really happened and how can the narrative be condensed and how can it be the most effective,” Meriwether tells THR. “That was all really new to me.
Writing a show like The Dropout, which follows the rise and fall of Theranos and its founder, Elizabeth Holmes, wasn’t easy, says showrunner Elizabeth Meriwether. Not only was research for the story extensive, given its scientific nature, but Covid-19 also delayed the project by three years, and Holmes’ trial started while Meriwether was finishing the script.
“It was definitely a lot of research, but if you spoke to anybody who’s done a true story, I think there’s just a moment when you have to put [things] aside — you learn a lot of stuff and then you have to think about what the story is that you want to tell. It’s always that push-pull of what really happened and how can the narrative be condensed and how can it be the most effective,” Meriwether tells THR. “That was all really new to me.
- 8/15/2022
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Forbes Entertainment and Entertainment One have partnered to produce multiple projects based on the alleged bitcoin laundering operation of Heather Morgan and Ilya Lichtenstein, the companies announced Wednesday.
As reported by The New York Times, Morgan and Lichtenstein were arrested on Feb. 8 under charges relating to a 2016 hack of the Bitcoin virtual currency exchange. The two reportedly stole over 120,000 Bitcoin assets, and then laundered the cryptocurrency through fake identities and online accounts. The two stand accused of laundering around $3.6 billion in Bitcoin. Prior to being arrested, Morgan worked in financial journalism, and from 2017 to 2021 was a contributor for the ForbesWomen vertical on Forbes.com.
Forbes and eOne’s projects will be based on Forbes’ reporting on the couple. Under the partnership, the companies have begun production on a documentary film about Morgan and Lichtenstein, which is executive produced by Geno McDermott and Jordan Rosenblum for Blackfin, a subsidiary of eOne.
As reported by The New York Times, Morgan and Lichtenstein were arrested on Feb. 8 under charges relating to a 2016 hack of the Bitcoin virtual currency exchange. The two reportedly stole over 120,000 Bitcoin assets, and then laundered the cryptocurrency through fake identities and online accounts. The two stand accused of laundering around $3.6 billion in Bitcoin. Prior to being arrested, Morgan worked in financial journalism, and from 2017 to 2021 was a contributor for the ForbesWomen vertical on Forbes.com.
Forbes and eOne’s projects will be based on Forbes’ reporting on the couple. Under the partnership, the companies have begun production on a documentary film about Morgan and Lichtenstein, which is executive produced by Geno McDermott and Jordan Rosenblum for Blackfin, a subsidiary of eOne.
- 2/16/2022
- by Wilson Chapman
- Variety Film + TV
Mere days after rapper and self-proclaimed “serial entrepreneur” Heather Morgan was arrested for conspiring to launder $4.5 billion in stolen Bitcoin, Netflix announced it has ordered a docuseries on her and her husband, Ilya “Dutch” Lichtenstein, who was also picked up by the feds.
The docuseries will be directed by Chris Smith, who will also executive-produce alongside Nick Bilton. Smith helmed Netflix’s Fyre Festival documentary, as well as the recent HBO surfing docuseries 100 Foot Wave. Bilton, meanwhile, is a Vanity Fair journalist who also served as a producer on...
The docuseries will be directed by Chris Smith, who will also executive-produce alongside Nick Bilton. Smith helmed Netflix’s Fyre Festival documentary, as well as the recent HBO surfing docuseries 100 Foot Wave. Bilton, meanwhile, is a Vanity Fair journalist who also served as a producer on...
- 2/11/2022
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
Netflix has ordered a docuseries about the recently arrested Ilya Lichtenstein and Heather Morgan, who are accused of running a large cryptocurrency laundering scheme, the streamer announced this Friday.
As reported by the New York Times, Lichtenstein and Morgan were arrested on Feb. 8 for charges relating to a 2016 hack of the Bitcoin virtual currency exchange. Allegedly, the two hacked into the exchange and stole around $120,000 Bitcoin. As the value of the stolen cryptocurrency rose from from $71 million to nearly $5 billion, the two allegedly tried to launder the assets by creating fake identities and online accounts to buy physical gold and NFTs. A press release from Netflix describes Lichtenstein and Morgan’s case as “the biggest financial crime case in history.”
The series will be directed by Chris Smith, who has directed several documentaries and docuseries for Netflix, many of which focus on scam artists and criminal activity. In 2019, he directed...
As reported by the New York Times, Lichtenstein and Morgan were arrested on Feb. 8 for charges relating to a 2016 hack of the Bitcoin virtual currency exchange. Allegedly, the two hacked into the exchange and stole around $120,000 Bitcoin. As the value of the stolen cryptocurrency rose from from $71 million to nearly $5 billion, the two allegedly tried to launder the assets by creating fake identities and online accounts to buy physical gold and NFTs. A press release from Netflix describes Lichtenstein and Morgan’s case as “the biggest financial crime case in history.”
The series will be directed by Chris Smith, who has directed several documentaries and docuseries for Netflix, many of which focus on scam artists and criminal activity. In 2019, he directed...
- 2/11/2022
- by Wilson Chapman
- Variety Film + TV
The team behind Netflix’s Fyre Festival documentary and HBO’s Elizabeth Holmes doc have teamed up to produce a docuseries about a pair of alleged bitcoin money launderers.
Netflix has ordered a series about Ilya “Dutch” Lichtenstein and Heather Morgan, who were arrested and face charged for conspiring to launder around $3.6B worth of Bitcoin.
Morgan, a hipster rapper otherwise known as Razzlekhan and Forbes contributor, and her husband Lichtenstein were arrested earlier this week in New York after being accused of conspiring to launder nearly 120,000 Bitcoin tied to the 2016 hack of a virtual currency exchange.
The value of the stolen Bitcoin soared from $71M at the time of the hack to nearly $5B and they allegedly tried to liquidate their digital money by creating fake identities and online accounts, and buying physical gold, NFTs, and more – all while investigators raced to track the money’s movement on the blockchain.
Netflix has ordered a series about Ilya “Dutch” Lichtenstein and Heather Morgan, who were arrested and face charged for conspiring to launder around $3.6B worth of Bitcoin.
Morgan, a hipster rapper otherwise known as Razzlekhan and Forbes contributor, and her husband Lichtenstein were arrested earlier this week in New York after being accused of conspiring to launder nearly 120,000 Bitcoin tied to the 2016 hack of a virtual currency exchange.
The value of the stolen Bitcoin soared from $71M at the time of the hack to nearly $5B and they allegedly tried to liquidate their digital money by creating fake identities and online accounts, and buying physical gold, NFTs, and more – all while investigators raced to track the money’s movement on the blockchain.
- 2/11/2022
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Netflix has ordered a docuseries about the couple who were arrested earlier this week and charged with laundering $4.5 billion in stolen cryptocurrency.
The untitled docuseries has no premiere date yet.
Ilya “Dutch” Lichtenstein and Heather Morgan were arrested in their New York City apartment on Tuesday, Feb. 8, and now face charges of conspiring to launder nearly 120,000 Bitcoin tied to the 2016 hack of a virtual currency exchange. As the value of the stolen Bitcoin soared from $71 million at the time of the hack to nearly $5 billion, the couple allegedly tried to liquidate their digital money by creating fake identities and online accounts, and buying physical gold, NFTs, and more – all while investigators raced to track the money’s movement on the blockchain.
In arresting the two, the Justice Department called the scheme the biggest financial crime case in U.S. history. So far, law enforcement has seized over $3.6 billion in cryptocurrency linked to that 2016 hack.
The untitled docuseries has no premiere date yet.
Ilya “Dutch” Lichtenstein and Heather Morgan were arrested in their New York City apartment on Tuesday, Feb. 8, and now face charges of conspiring to launder nearly 120,000 Bitcoin tied to the 2016 hack of a virtual currency exchange. As the value of the stolen Bitcoin soared from $71 million at the time of the hack to nearly $5 billion, the couple allegedly tried to liquidate their digital money by creating fake identities and online accounts, and buying physical gold, NFTs, and more – all while investigators raced to track the money’s movement on the blockchain.
In arresting the two, the Justice Department called the scheme the biggest financial crime case in U.S. history. So far, law enforcement has seized over $3.6 billion in cryptocurrency linked to that 2016 hack.
- 2/11/2022
- by Tim Baysinger
- The Wrap
Apple announced nine new additions to the cast of “Extrapolations,” an upcoming anthology series about climate change helmed by Scott Z. Burns.
Meryl Streep, Sienna Miller, Kit Harington, Tahar Rahim, Matthew Rhys, Daveed Diggs, Gemma Chan, David Schwimmer and Adarsh Gourav will lead the series, which is currently in production and produced for Apple TV Plus Michael Ellenberg’s Media Res. The series will examine how impending changes to the planet will affect love, faith, work and family in people’s lives over eight interconnected episodes.
Streep’s role in the series is yet to be disclosed. She is repped by CAA and attorney Michael Gendler. Miller will play a marine biologist named Rebecca Shearer. She is repped by Elyse Sherz and Jessica Kovacevic at WME, Dallas Smith at United Agents and Tori Cook as publicist.
Harington will play Nick Bilton, the CEO of an industrial giant. He is repped by CAA,...
Meryl Streep, Sienna Miller, Kit Harington, Tahar Rahim, Matthew Rhys, Daveed Diggs, Gemma Chan, David Schwimmer and Adarsh Gourav will lead the series, which is currently in production and produced for Apple TV Plus Michael Ellenberg’s Media Res. The series will examine how impending changes to the planet will affect love, faith, work and family in people’s lives over eight interconnected episodes.
Streep’s role in the series is yet to be disclosed. She is repped by CAA and attorney Michael Gendler. Miller will play a marine biologist named Rebecca Shearer. She is repped by Elyse Sherz and Jessica Kovacevic at WME, Dallas Smith at United Agents and Tori Cook as publicist.
Harington will play Nick Bilton, the CEO of an industrial giant. He is repped by CAA,...
- 10/19/2021
- by Selome Hailu
- Variety Film + TV
For journalist Nick Bilton’s first film, he didn’t want to just document the world of social media influencers, he wanted to influence it himself. So he set out to find ordinary people who he could help get famous online through the purchase of bots that would grow their follower counts and engagement, and then he filmed the process for a documentary entitled “Fake Famous.”
The process of making the film was one Bilton likens to “putting a leaf in a stream and whichever way it goes, it goes.” Although the formula to making his three protagonists famous (at least on Instagram) was one he feels anyone could use and find success with, it had different results for all three because of the level of willingness they exhibited in going along with the experiment and allowing bots to take over their accounts and, to an extent, their lives.
Actor...
The process of making the film was one Bilton likens to “putting a leaf in a stream and whichever way it goes, it goes.” Although the formula to making his three protagonists famous (at least on Instagram) was one he feels anyone could use and find success with, it had different results for all three because of the level of willingness they exhibited in going along with the experiment and allowing bots to take over their accounts and, to an extent, their lives.
Actor...
- 2/2/2021
- by Danielle Turchiano
- Variety Film + TV
In today’s TV news roundup, NBC announced the Season 20 premiere date of “The Voice,” AMC Plus moved the return of “The Walking Dead” on its streaming service up a few days early.
Dates
The Paley Center for Media will celebrate Black History Month with “A Salute to Black Achievements in Television presented by Citi” beginning Feb. 1. The annual celebration spotlights significant contributions from Black icons, innovators and leaders in media and entertainment. Programming includes “For Life in Conversation with Curtis ‘50 Cent’ Jackson” Feb. 1 at 8 p.m.; “Queen Sugar” exclusives Feb. 13-15; a special family preview screening of Netflix’s “Family Reunion” on Feb. 27, and 100th anniversary spotlights of The Negro Leagues and Black women in government and politics on TV on Feb. 28. While these screenings and panels will be available on the Paley Center’s YouTube page, interactive experiences with archival content will also be available on its website.
Dates
The Paley Center for Media will celebrate Black History Month with “A Salute to Black Achievements in Television presented by Citi” beginning Feb. 1. The annual celebration spotlights significant contributions from Black icons, innovators and leaders in media and entertainment. Programming includes “For Life in Conversation with Curtis ‘50 Cent’ Jackson” Feb. 1 at 8 p.m.; “Queen Sugar” exclusives Feb. 13-15; a special family preview screening of Netflix’s “Family Reunion” on Feb. 27, and 100th anniversary spotlights of The Negro Leagues and Black women in government and politics on TV on Feb. 28. While these screenings and panels will be available on the Paley Center’s YouTube page, interactive experiences with archival content will also be available on its website.
- 2/1/2021
- by Haley Bosselman
- Variety Film + TV
When producers of reality TV are looking to reframe the narratives around their project from “trash” to “substance,” a common tactic is to refer to the show as a “social experiment.” Jeff Probst does it all the time on Survivor. Ashton Kutcher went so far as to deem a little show called Beauty and the Geek “the ultimate social experiment.”
It’s a strategy Nick Bilton, a longtime journalist making his directing debut, uses repeatedly on HBO’s Fake Famous. Whether that cements its place as the Morgan Spurlock-esque blend of weighty and frivolous it obviously intends ...
It’s a strategy Nick Bilton, a longtime journalist making his directing debut, uses repeatedly on HBO’s Fake Famous. Whether that cements its place as the Morgan Spurlock-esque blend of weighty and frivolous it obviously intends ...
When producers of reality TV are looking to reframe the narratives around their project from “trash” to “substance,” a common tactic is to refer to the show as a “social experiment.” Jeff Probst does it all the time on Survivor. Ashton Kutcher went so far as to deem a little show called Beauty and the Geek “the ultimate social experiment.”
It’s a strategy Nick Bilton, a longtime journalist making his directing debut, uses repeatedly on HBO’s Fake Famous. Whether that cements its place as the Morgan Spurlock-esque blend of weighty and frivolous it obviously intends ...
It’s a strategy Nick Bilton, a longtime journalist making his directing debut, uses repeatedly on HBO’s Fake Famous. Whether that cements its place as the Morgan Spurlock-esque blend of weighty and frivolous it obviously intends ...
In today’s TV news roundup, AMC released a trailer for “The Walking Dead,” and HBO announced a premiere date for Nick Bilton’s “Fake Famous” documentary.
Dates
“Fake Famous” will debut on HBO and HBO Max on Feb. 2. The documentary film, by first-time director and technology journalist Nick Bilton, follows three small-time influencers as they attempt to grow their followings and explores what it means to be famous in the digital age. Watch a trailer below.
TruTV announced it will premiere the limited prank series “Double Cross with Blake Griffin” on March 19, with back-to-back episodes at 5:30 and 6 p.m. The final two episodes of the series, which stars the titular basketball player conspiring with people who too-often find themselves the victims of pranks getting their revenge, will air the following night, March 20, at the same times.
TruTV also announced that “Big Trick Energy,” a magic reality series, will premiere April 22 at 10:30 p.
Dates
“Fake Famous” will debut on HBO and HBO Max on Feb. 2. The documentary film, by first-time director and technology journalist Nick Bilton, follows three small-time influencers as they attempt to grow their followings and explores what it means to be famous in the digital age. Watch a trailer below.
TruTV announced it will premiere the limited prank series “Double Cross with Blake Griffin” on March 19, with back-to-back episodes at 5:30 and 6 p.m. The final two episodes of the series, which stars the titular basketball player conspiring with people who too-often find themselves the victims of pranks getting their revenge, will air the following night, March 20, at the same times.
TruTV also announced that “Big Trick Energy,” a magic reality series, will premiere April 22 at 10:30 p.
- 1/22/2021
- by Haley Bosselman
- Variety Film + TV
Three normal people pretend their way to social media stardom in the trailer for the documentary Fake Famous, coming to HBO on February 2nd.
The film, by first-time director Nick Bilton, “explores the industry of social media influencers through an innovative social experiment. The film’s journey into this world is driven by the casting of three people in Los Angeles who all have relatively small social followings and the attempt to grow them into famous influencers. By purchasing fake followers and an army of bots to ‘engage’ with their social media,...
The film, by first-time director Nick Bilton, “explores the industry of social media influencers through an innovative social experiment. The film’s journey into this world is driven by the casting of three people in Los Angeles who all have relatively small social followings and the attempt to grow them into famous influencers. By purchasing fake followers and an army of bots to ‘engage’ with their social media,...
- 1/21/2021
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
"Or are there unintended consequences for the worse?" HBO has revealed a trailer for a documentary film titled Fake Famous, debuting directly on the TV / streaming starting at the beginning of February. This is the feature directorial debut of tech journalist Nick Bilton, exploring the meaning of fame and influence in the digital age through a social experiment. Following three Los Angeles-based people with relatively small followings, the film explores the attempts made to turn them into famous influencers by purchasing fake followers and bots to "engage" with their social media accounts. The young trio he selects — aspiring actress Dominique, fashion designer Chris, and real estate assistant Wylie — in return have wildly different experiences as their fake followers grow by the thousands each day. Peeling back the layers to reveal what’s really happening behind the scenes of influencer fame, the film highlights our obsession with the number of likes,...
- 1/21/2021
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
HBO has released the trailer and premiere date for its upcoming documentary “Fake Famous,” which explores the world of social media influencers by turning nobodies into internet-famous somebodies.
Directed and produced by tech journalist Nick Bilton, the documentary follows three Angelenos — aspiring actress Dominique, fashion designer Chris and real estate assistant Wylie — who attempt to become influencers by purchasing fake followers and bots to boost engagement on their posts.
According to HBO, “the newly made influencers discover both the wonders and costs of this unlikely, immersive lifestyle.”
The documentary also features interviews with New York Times technology reporter Taylor Lorenz, Liz Eswein of the hugely popular @newyorkcity Instagram account, Bloomberg technology reporter Sarah Frier and Justine Bateman, author of “Fame: The Hijacking of Reality.”
“Fake Famous” premieres Tuesday, Feb. 2 on HBO and HBO Max.
It is produced by HBO Documentary Films in association with Consolidated Documentaries Bilton is writer, director and producer.
Directed and produced by tech journalist Nick Bilton, the documentary follows three Angelenos — aspiring actress Dominique, fashion designer Chris and real estate assistant Wylie — who attempt to become influencers by purchasing fake followers and bots to boost engagement on their posts.
According to HBO, “the newly made influencers discover both the wonders and costs of this unlikely, immersive lifestyle.”
The documentary also features interviews with New York Times technology reporter Taylor Lorenz, Liz Eswein of the hugely popular @newyorkcity Instagram account, Bloomberg technology reporter Sarah Frier and Justine Bateman, author of “Fame: The Hijacking of Reality.”
“Fake Famous” premieres Tuesday, Feb. 2 on HBO and HBO Max.
It is produced by HBO Documentary Films in association with Consolidated Documentaries Bilton is writer, director and producer.
- 1/21/2021
- by Reid Nakamura
- The Wrap
“I don’t want you to lose your job, but why should you exist?”
This is what Siena College Research Institute Director Don Levy says a reporter asked him earlier this month after it became clear that he and his fellow pollsters drastically underestimated Donald Trump’s support, four years after making the same mistake ahead of the 2016 election.
Levy seemed gobsmacked by the question, but it wasn’t out of step with much of the media’s reaction to the polling industry’s whiff. “Polling seems to be irrevocably broken,...
This is what Siena College Research Institute Director Don Levy says a reporter asked him earlier this month after it became clear that he and his fellow pollsters drastically underestimated Donald Trump’s support, four years after making the same mistake ahead of the 2016 election.
Levy seemed gobsmacked by the question, but it wasn’t out of step with much of the media’s reaction to the polling industry’s whiff. “Polling seems to be irrevocably broken,...
- 11/19/2020
- by Ryan Bort
- Rollingstone.com
NBC's forthcoming streaming service, Peacock, is ramping up its development slate, despite the service not being fully revealed to the masses.
The network unveiled six additional series it has in the works, including a MacGruber TV series starring Will Forte, as well as a Laverne Cox-Norman Lear series titled Clean Slate.
They join the Queer as Folk reboot as programs under development. Neither of the shows has received series orders.
Here is the full list of new shows in the works.
The Adventure Zone
Based on the McElroy Family’s wildly popular Dungeons & Dragons podcast and No. 1 New York Times best-selling graphic novel series, The Adventure Zone is a side-splitting and heart-filled fantasy animated comedy series that follows an unlikely, poorly equipped trio and their beleaguered Dungeon Master as they reluctantly embark on a quest to save their world.
Writer/executive producer: Adam Higgs (Orphan Black)
Executive producers: Clint McElroy,...
The network unveiled six additional series it has in the works, including a MacGruber TV series starring Will Forte, as well as a Laverne Cox-Norman Lear series titled Clean Slate.
They join the Queer as Folk reboot as programs under development. Neither of the shows has received series orders.
Here is the full list of new shows in the works.
The Adventure Zone
Based on the McElroy Family’s wildly popular Dungeons & Dragons podcast and No. 1 New York Times best-selling graphic novel series, The Adventure Zone is a side-splitting and heart-filled fantasy animated comedy series that follows an unlikely, poorly equipped trio and their beleaguered Dungeon Master as they reluctantly embark on a quest to save their world.
Writer/executive producer: Adam Higgs (Orphan Black)
Executive producers: Clint McElroy,...
- 1/16/2020
- by Paul Dailly
- TVfanatic
Ahead of its formal debut Thursday, NBCUniversal has put six projects in development at Peacock, including a revival of Will Forte’s “MacGruber.”
Additional projects include a transgender themed drama executive produced by and starring Laverne Cox, a comedy based on the McElroy family’s “Dungeons & Dragons” podcast, and others from Amy Poehler and Mindy Kaling.
“MacGruber” will see Forte return as his “SNL” character, a spoof of “MacGyver.” The character appeared in a number sketches and starred in a 2010 movie alongside Kristen Wiig, Ryan Phillippe, Val Kilmer and Maya Rudolph. The character was created by Jorma Taccone, a member of The Lonely Island musical comedy group that also featured “SNL” alum Andy Samberg.
Also Read: 'Punky Brewster' Revival Ordered to Series at NBCU's Peacock Streaming Service
In the Peacock revival, MacGruber gets out of prison after more than a decade. Here is the rest of the...
Additional projects include a transgender themed drama executive produced by and starring Laverne Cox, a comedy based on the McElroy family’s “Dungeons & Dragons” podcast, and others from Amy Poehler and Mindy Kaling.
“MacGruber” will see Forte return as his “SNL” character, a spoof of “MacGyver.” The character appeared in a number sketches and starred in a 2010 movie alongside Kristen Wiig, Ryan Phillippe, Val Kilmer and Maya Rudolph. The character was created by Jorma Taccone, a member of The Lonely Island musical comedy group that also featured “SNL” alum Andy Samberg.
Also Read: 'Punky Brewster' Revival Ordered to Series at NBCU's Peacock Streaming Service
In the Peacock revival, MacGruber gets out of prison after more than a decade. Here is the rest of the...
- 1/16/2020
- by Tim Baysinger
- The Wrap
Ahead of Comcast’s investor presentation today to officially unveil NBCUniversal’s upcoming streaming service Peacock, the platform has announced its inaugural development slate. It includes comedies MacGruber, starring and co-written by Will Forte; and Clean Slate, starring and co-written by Laverne Cox and George Wallace. Creative auspices on Peacock’s series in development also include Amy Poehler, Mindy Kaling, Norman Lear and Lorne Michaels, among others. The projects come from within NBCUniversal Content Studios — from both Universal TV and Ucp — as well as from outside studios, Warner Bros. and Sony.
From the get-go, Peacock’s original series slate had a comedy bent, with sequels to sitcoms Saved By the Bell and Punky Brewster among the platform’ first orders, along with pickups for A.P. Bio and Ed Helms-Mike Schur comedy Rutherford Falls.
The streamer’s development slate continues that programming direction. Five of the six projects on it are comedies,...
From the get-go, Peacock’s original series slate had a comedy bent, with sequels to sitcoms Saved By the Bell and Punky Brewster among the platform’ first orders, along with pickups for A.P. Bio and Ed Helms-Mike Schur comedy Rutherford Falls.
The streamer’s development slate continues that programming direction. Five of the six projects on it are comedies,...
- 1/16/2020
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
Peacock is adding a bunch more feathers to its slate.
Only a couple hours before NBCUniversal unveils the new streaming service, Peacock has announced it is developing series with Amy Poehler and Mindy Kaling, among others.
The Poehler-produced project is titled “Division One” and is described as a coming-of-age comedy about an underdog women’s collegiate soccer team that gets a new female coach – a former professional soccer player who’s fallen from grace – and must decide whether or not they’re going to take the risk of trying to be great.
Maggie Carey, who is best known for directing episodes of shows such as “Barry,” “Silicon Valley” and “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” is writing, directing and executive producing the show, alongside Julia Brownwell who serves as a writing-executive producer. Poehler, who was recently announced as the co-host for next year’s Golden Globes, is exec producing via her Paper Kite banner,...
Only a couple hours before NBCUniversal unveils the new streaming service, Peacock has announced it is developing series with Amy Poehler and Mindy Kaling, among others.
The Poehler-produced project is titled “Division One” and is described as a coming-of-age comedy about an underdog women’s collegiate soccer team that gets a new female coach – a former professional soccer player who’s fallen from grace – and must decide whether or not they’re going to take the risk of trying to be great.
Maggie Carey, who is best known for directing episodes of shows such as “Barry,” “Silicon Valley” and “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” is writing, directing and executive producing the show, alongside Julia Brownwell who serves as a writing-executive producer. Poehler, who was recently announced as the co-host for next year’s Golden Globes, is exec producing via her Paper Kite banner,...
- 1/16/2020
- by Will Thorne
- Variety Film + TV
Elizabeth Holmes may still be facing 20 years in prison, but the one-time Silicon Valley darling has a new man by her side.
Inside Edition recently spotted the disgraced Theranos CEO smiling while out and about in San Francisco with fiancé Billy Evans and her dog Balto.
In video obtained by the outlet, Holmes, 35, had traded in her signature black turtleneck in favor of a plain white T-shirt and a pair of black yoga pants. Meanwhile Evans wore a shirt emblazoned with the words “Take a walk on the wild side.”
The couple was also filmed holding hands while walking the dog on a separate occasion.
Inside Edition recently spotted the disgraced Theranos CEO smiling while out and about in San Francisco with fiancé Billy Evans and her dog Balto.
In video obtained by the outlet, Holmes, 35, had traded in her signature black turtleneck in favor of a plain white T-shirt and a pair of black yoga pants. Meanwhile Evans wore a shirt emblazoned with the words “Take a walk on the wild side.”
The couple was also filmed holding hands while walking the dog on a separate occasion.
- 4/3/2019
- by Maria Pasquini
- PEOPLE.com
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