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Move over, Xena! Deadline reports that Lucy Lawless is set to return to her other iconic role, that of Lucretia in the upcoming Spartacus: House of Ashur series.

Sadly, Lawless’ return won’t be as a series regular, but as a guest-starring role in the premiere. The report states that her appearance “will be instrumental in setting up the ‘what if’ alternate timeline.” In a statement on X, creator Steven DeKnight said, “The gods bless the House of Ashur! Thrilled to have the amazing [Lucy Lawless] dropping in to grace us with her awesome presence!“

House of Ashur is described as a “history-bending, erotic, thrilling, roller-coaster experience that builds on everything that made the original series a colossal hit. The series poses the question: what if Ashur, played by fan favorite Nick Tarabay, hadn’t died on Mount Vesuvius at the end of Spartacus: Vengeance? And what if he had been gifted...

Starz has announced casting for its epic new series Spartacus: House of Ashur, which has started production in New Zealand. Outlander’s Graham McTavish has joined the cast as Ashur’s Doctore, who trains the gladiators.

Tenika Davis has joined the cast as the first female gladiator in the Spartacus universe, a fierce warrior driven to surpass her male counterparts and earn her freedom.

Jamaica Vaughan, Ivana Baquero, Jordi Webber, Claudia Black, India Shaw-Smith, and Leigh Gill will also join Nick Tarabay in the epic new saga as series regulars.

Graham McTavish plays Korris, a former gladiator who won his freedom in the arena and is now Ashur’s Doctore, training the gladiators in Ashur’s Ludus. Tenika Davis plays Achillia, a female gladiator driven to surpass her male counterparts.

Jamaica Vaughan plays Hilara, a young, elevated house slave deeply in love with Ashur. Ivana Baquero plays Messia, a house slave who loves Hilara.

Production on Spartacus: House of Ashur is currently underway in New Zealand, and the rest of the main cast for the upcoming Starz series has been revealed.

The series’ main cast will include Graham McTavish (The Witcher), Tenika Davis (Jupiter’s Legacy), Jamaica Vaughan (Home and Away), Ivana Baquero (Pan’s Labyrinth), Jordi Webber (Choose Love), Claudia Black (Farscape), India Shaw-Smith (The Pines Still Whisper), and Leigh Gill (Joker). Of course, Nick Tarabay will be reprising the role of Ashur, a former gladiator who used his cunning to serve the house of Batiatus and later the Romans in the original series.

Graham McTavish plays Korris, “a former gladiator who won his freedom in the arena and is now Ashur’s Doctore, training the gladiators in Ashur’s Ludus.“ Tenika Davis plays Achillia, “a female gladiator driven to surpass her male counterparts.“ Jamaica Vaughan plays Hilara, “a young, elevated house slave, deeply in love with Ashur.

Starz hit the Television Critics Assn. press tour Thursday with a new tagline (“We’re All Adults Here”) and news on several new and returning series — including a greenlight for the yakker “Fat Joe Talks” (hosted by the “What’s Luv” hip-hop star) and news that it had acquired the U.S. and Canada broadcast rights to “Sweetpea,” a new drama starring and executive produced by Ella Purnell.

Starz also announced new castmembers for its upcoming spinoff “Spartacus: House of Ashur,” the latest series in the “Spartacus” universe. Graham McTavish joins the cast as Ashur’s Doctore, who trains the gladiators. Tenika Davis (“Jupiter’s Legacy”) will play the first female gladiator in the “Spartacus” universe, described as “a fierce warrior driven to surpass her male counterparts and earn her freedom.”

Joining them are Jamaica Vaughan (“Home and Away”) as “Hilara,” a young, elevated house slave, deeply in love with Ashur...

Starz has set the main cast for the latest installment of the “Spartacus” Universe: Spartacus: House of Ashur, led by franchise star Nick Tarabay reprising the role of the titular Ashur. Production on the Steven S. DeKnight-led, 10-episode series is underway in New Zealand.

“And who will fight Ashur? Choose carefully, for I long for blood”—Ashur

The main cast includes Graham McTavish (The Witcher), Tenika Davis (Jupiter’s Legacy), Jamaica Vaughan (Home and Away), Ivana Baquero (Pan’s Labyrinth), Jordi Webber (Choose Love), Claudia Black (The Nevers), India Shaw-Smith (The Pines Still Whisper) and Leigh Gill (Joker).

Spartacus: House of Ashur is described by the network as a “history-bending, erotic, thrilling, roller-coaster experience that builds on everything that made the original series a colossal hit. The series poses the question: what if Ashur, played by fan favorite Nick Tarabay, hadn’t died on Mount Vesuvius at the end of Spartacus: Vengeance?...

British filmmaker Paul Raschid is developing a new interactive film. Deadline reports Raschid's latest project, The Run, is an "interactive horror-thriller" that puts the fate of its protagonists into the viewer's hands. Ouch, poor them. If you watched Black Mirror's Bandersnatch or enjoy visual novels, you'll have an idea of what to expect.

Raschid is no stranger to this hybrid genre, having previously worked on interactive titles like the hostage-thriller The Gallery, the romantic comedy Five Dates, and its sequel, Ten Dates. Both rom-coms function like visual novels and are available on platforms like Steam, Apple's App Store, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch.

So, so, so proud I can finally announce this...

Dove Cameron and Avan Jogia have been cast to lead Amazon Prime Video’s thriller series “Obsession,” which was ordered at the end of last year.

The series is based on Catherine Ryan Howard’s novel “56 Days” and, per the official description, it follows “Oliver (Jogia) and Ciara who, after meeting randomly in a supermarket, fall for each other fast, and dangerously hard. Fifty-six days later, homicide investigators arrive at Oliver’s apartment to find an unidentified body—brutally murdered and intentionally decomposed. Did he kill her? Did she kill him? Intercutting between an intense single day in the present investigation and the twisted trajectory of the young lovers’ affair in the past, the series is both a unique crime story and a riveting, erotic, psychological thriller.”

The series is written and executive-produced by Lisa Zwerling and Karyn Usher. Horror legend James Wan is also on board as one of the executive producers,...

Exclusive: Dove Cameron (Schmigadoon!) and Avan Jogia (Orphan Black: Echoes) have been set to topline Obsession, a thriller series produced by Amazon MGM Studios and Atomic Monster, which was ordered at the end of last year.

Written and executive produced by Lisa Zwerling and Karyn Usher, the show is based on Catherine Ryan Howard’s 2021 international bestseller 56 Days. The story follows Oliver (Jogia) and Ciara (Cameron), who, after meeting randomly in a supermarket, fall for each other fast, and dangerously hard. 56 days later, homicide investigators arrive at Oliver’s apartment to find an unidentified body — brutally murdered and intentionally decomposed. Did he kill her? Did she kill him? Intercutting between an intense single day in the present investigation and the twisted trajectory of the young lovers’ affair in the past, the series is both a crime story and an erotic, psychological thriller.

James Wan, Michael Clear, and Rob Hackett are exec producing via Atomic Monster,...

Picture: Netflix

For the past seven years, Netflix has been gradually releasing a collection of interactive, choose-your-own-story games within the Netflix Ui, known as Interactive Specials. According to a recent report, we may not see many more of these, if any, in the future.

Netflix began rolling out this feature in 2017, and to date, 28 of them have been released, with the majority targeting family-oriented audiences. IP such as Carmen Sandiego, The Boss Baby, Barbie, Johnny Test, and Jurassic World have all featured interactive specials, along with Netflix’s own array of shows receiving this treatment, including Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and We Lost Our Human.

Black Mirror: Bandersnatch was undoubtedly a major breakthrough for this technology, targeting adults and pushing the feature to its limits with numerous branching storylines. The last major interactive movie came over the summer in the form of Choose Love, a rom-com starring Laura Marano, Avan Jogia,...

CBS has revealed the full list of nominations and hosts for the 26th annual Family Film and TV Awards planned for January 27.

The Talk‘s Akbar Gbajabiamila and Amanda Kloots will host the awards show that will air on CBS and stream on Paramount+. Originally produced by Dick Clark and initially broadcast on CBS in 1996, the awards recognize the significance of family entertainment.

A panel of industry experts, celebrities and Popstar! magazine readers will select the winners from 11 categories during the broadcast.

“Recognizing and celebrating content that holds a universal appeal and is suitable for audiences of all ages has always been a core principle of our role as stewards of this esteemed award show,” executive producer David McKenzie of Associated Television International said in a statement. “Emulating the celebrated legacy of Dick Clark presents a formidable challenge, and our commitment lies in restoring the event to its original essence.

Jamie Dornan is one of several British stars who showed up to support Choose Love this week!

The 41-year-old actor was joined by celebs like Olivia Colman and Lily James while attending the launch of the charity’s pop-up shop for Help Refugees on Wednesday (November 22) on Carnaby Street in London, England.

Also in attendance were Saltburn actor Archie Madekwe, as well as Pearl Mackie, Dawn O’Porter, and Dermot O’Leary.

Choose Love does “whatever it takes to provide refugees and displaced people with everything from lifesaving search and rescue boats to food and legal advice.”

At the shop, you can purchase “essential and life-saving supplies from warm clothing to hot meals to mental health care support, for displaced people who need them.” The shop is open until December 24.

Exclusive: Todd Slater of Convoke Media and Brandon Evans of Brick Lane Pictures have launched Brick Lane Entertainment. The production, sales and financing partnership based in LA and Dublin will be taking When We Collided, starring Laura Marano and directed by her sister Vanessa, to AFM.

Brick Lane will co-produce alongside Laura, Vanessa and Ellen Marano’s Calabrian Rhode Productions. Christina Mengert wrote the screenplay based on the 2016 Emery Lord novel.

The film is scheduled to begin production in Ireland next spring.

Laura Marano is the actor and successful singer-songwriter launched by the wildly popular Disney Channel series Austin & Ally. Vanessa Marano’s acting credits includes Switched At Birth, How To Deter A Robber and Gilmore Girls.

Brick Lane Entertainment will also serve as the sales rep at AFM...

Halsey and Avan Jogia turned Halloween weekend into a date night opportunity while hitting up a party on Saturday (October 28) in Los Angeles.

The 29-year-old “Nightmare” hitmaker and 31-year-old Choose Love actor only just went Instagram official this week following weeks of speculation about their romance.

They stepped out to celebrate spooky season together, and they did so in a couples costume!

Keep reading to find out more…

Halsey dressed up as a siren, wearing a sheer white skirt with a matching bikini top. They draped seashells and beads around their body and finished off the look with long auburn hair.

She also brought it on the makeup front, painting scales on her face and creating a three-dimensional effect using body paints (likely from her about-face beauty brand).

Avan meanwhile dressed up as a sailor, wearing a white shirt with full sleeves and a sage green vest.

We love their...

Halsey and Avan Jogia are heating things up on the relationship front!

The 29-year-old “Without Me” hitmaker and 31-year-old Choose Love actor went public with their romance back in September when photos emerged of them kissing. A little over a month later, they took the next step by going Instagram official.

They did so by sharing photos from their Los Angeles Fashion Week debut, too.

Keep reading to find out more…

Both Halsey and Avan hopped on Instagram to share photos from their public outing.

Halsey‘s post opened with two photos of their daring black look and dramatic makeup (achieved using products from her about-face beauty brand). The third picture was a staged shot of her and Avan posing for the camera. There was another photo of them with Avan’s arm wrapped around the singer’s shoulders.

Avan opened his post with a photo of himself. Second up...

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“One Piece” has remained the most-watched Netflix series on the streamer in its second week since release, logging an additional 19.3 million views this week.

After debuting to the top of the streamer’s most-watched TV list last week with 18.5 million views, the live action adaptation of Eiichiro Oda’s manga is now totaling 37.8 million views since its Aug. 31 premiere, according to Netflix.

Next up on the most-watched TV list was “Virgin River” Season 5, which debuted in the No. 2 spot on the list with 9 million views, while limited thriller series “Who Is Erin Carter?” came in third place with 7.1 million views. The third installment of U.K. comedy “Top Boy” took the No. 4 spot with 5.6 million views, while “Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones” came in fifth with 3.1 million views.

Netflix’s movie selection will make this a September to remember. From an abundance of romantic comedies and dramedies arriving on the streamer this month to fun-loving animation that tells heartfelt stories, there is no shortage of stream-worthy content as the colder months approach. While fall technically does not start until Sept. 21, this list may or may not supply some watch suggestions for pumpkin spice season.

In “Love Again,” Céline Dion talks some sense into Rob (Sam Heughan) when he struggles to make a connection with beautiful Mira Troy (Priyanka Chopra) after she instigates their meet cute by texting Rob’s phone — the same number that used belong to dead lover.

Those looking for more of a young adult love story can check out “Love at First Sight,” based on the book by Jennifer E. Smith and directed by Vanessa Caswill. In the film, shortened from Smith’s original title,...

When Netflix first signed Adam Sandler’s Happy Madison Productions to a four-movie deal in 2014, the reaction was to laugh it off: “Out of left field” and “improbable” were some of the kinder terms used.

The deal, renewed twice since then, has been paying off for Netflix. The latest Sandler movie, “You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah” was the most-streamed movie in the U.S. over Labor Day weekend, according to Whip Media’s Movie Ranker, which uses viewership data from TV Time, its TV show and movie tracking app with more than 26 million global registered users.

Based on the YA novel of the same name, the coming-of-age comedy stars Sandler and his real-life teenage daughter Sunny.

Netflix originally signed Sandler because it noticed how well his movies performed on the service. Skipping theaters might mean missing out on some buzz, but it’s not like Sandler...

Choose Love is a rom-com interactive film directed by Stuart McDonald with a screenplay by Josann McGibbon. The Netflix film follows Cami, a young woman who starts to doubt her relationship with her partner Paul when two other men enter her life. Choose Love stars Laura Marano, Avan Jogia, Scott Michael Foster, and Jordi Webber. While Choose Love is an interactive film we are only able to recommend romantic comedies as there are not many rom-com interactive films in existence. So, if you loved Choose Love here are some similar movies you could watch next.

Look Both Ways (Netflix) Credit – Netflix

Synopsis: On the eve of her college graduation, Natalie’s [Lili Reinhart] life diverges into parallel realities: one in which she becomes pregnant and remains in her hometown, and another in which she does not and moves to Los Angeles. In both journeys, Natalie experiences life-changing love, pursues her dream career as an artist,...

The live-action adaptation of Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece sailed to the top of Netflix’s English-language TV charts during a formidable premiere week with 18.5M views from August 28 to September 3. One Piece is performing well across the board after being in the Top 10 in 93 countries, with a first-place finish in 46. Despite mixed reviews, One Piece is hitting big with fans of Oda’s long-running manga and anime series. It was a trending topic across social media throughout Labor Day weekend, with many singing the show’s praises.

Per Netflix‘s official press release, the UK thriller Who Is Erin Carter? also had a solid second week with 15.8M views, ranking second. Making their list debuts were the docuseries Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones, which took third place with 5.7M views, and Disenchantment Part 5, which took tenth place with 4.6M views. Returning titles rounded out the list,...

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“One Piece” has debuted at the top spot on Netflix’s most-watched TV list in its first week on the streamer, logging 18.5 million views since its Aug. 31 premiere.

The manga live-action adaptation series climbed to the Top 10 in 93 countries, and scored the No. 1 spot on the list in 46 countries. Right behind “One Piece” on the list was limited series “Who Is Erin Carter?” which brought in 15.8 million views during its second week on Netflix.

Limited series “Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones” debuted to the TV list in the No. 3 spot with 5.7 million views while “Painkiller” came in fourth place on the list with 3.4 million views and “The Ultimatum: Marry Or Move On” Season 2 took the fifth place with 3.1 million views.

On the film front, Adam Sandler-led...

Stuart McDonald deeply admires Netflix’s first interactive movie Black Mirror: Bandersnatch. He describes the film as a dark journey wherein a viewer’s decisions in a gamer nerd’s life could lead to acid trips, existential torment, suicide, stuffed bunnies, and decapitated heads. But McDonald knows audiences will have a different reaction to the streaming behemoth’s first interactive romantic comedy, which he directed. In Choose Love, audiences wander into the pages of a fan fiction to decide which suitor is best for the film’s career-driven protagonist, Cami...

Back in 2018 with “Black Mirror: Bandersnatch,” Netflix introduced interactive features as a way for viewers to take charge of a movie, using a controller to select diverse story paths. The filmmakers offered choices branching off from pivotal points within the narrative that led to a range of conclusions that either worked, eventually triggering the end credits, or didn’t, propelling the viewer back to an earlier point to try again. More programming utilizing this style shortly followed in other genres: the scripted comedy “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend,” the animated special “We Lost Our Human,” and the reality series “Ranveer vs. Wild with Bear Grylls.”

This innovative concept is now applied to the streamer’s growing stable of saccharine-but-sentimental romantic comedy features with “Choose Love.” Director Stuart McDonald (“A Perfect Pairing”) and writer-producer Josann McGibbon (“Runaway Bride”) center their tale on an indecisive career-driven woman who must choose...

"Choose Love" is a new interactive 'rom-com' feature, directed by Stuart McDonald, starring Avan Jogia, Laura Marano, Josann McGibbon, Scott Michael Foster, Robyn Snyder, Jordi Webber, Axel Paton, Mel Turner, Stuart McDonald and Deborah Evans, streaming August 31, 2023 on Netflix:

"...'Cami Conway' (Marano) has it all. She’s got the job she wants as a recording engineer and is headed towards engagement, marriage and kids with her boyfriend 'Paul' (Foster).

"And yet, she feels something is missing. Is it just the fear of commitment, or is she actually missing out on an even better career, perhaps the long abandoned singing career she once dreamed of? And is Paul the love of her life?

"What if it’s 'Rex Galier' (Jogia), the Brit rock star, who walks into her studio and becomes irrepressibly smitten? Or could it be 'Jack Menna' (Webber), her first love, an idealistic world traveler, who returns home...

HBO’s Ballers, the docuseries Depp v. Heard, the Adam Sandler-produced You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah and interactive rom-com Choose Love are among the new projects debuting on Netflix in August.

After adding all five seasons of Insecure last month, in the first time an HBO original series was available on Netflix in the U.S., Netflix is adding yet another HBO title on Aug. 15: the Dwayne Johnson-fronted Ballers.

The streamer is also set to add HBO series Band of Brothers, The Pacific and Six Feet Under at a future date, due to a co-exclusive deal with Warner Bros. Discovery’s Max.

Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s headline-making 2022 defamation case, over a Washington Post op-ed in which Heard called herself a domestic abuse survivor, is the subject of the three-part Depp v. Heard docuseries, which combines footage that was televised and livestreamed...

August has arrived, and with it, the last full month of summer-worthy shows and flicks, at least for 2023. From all the summer sensations to food weather, carnival fun and, of course, the lack of school, the streamer’s film slate will update with some appropriate flicks like “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2,” “Eat Pray Love,” “Despicable Me” and “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” respectively.

If you’re one of those who senses the change in the air as soon as the salty summer heat gives way to crisp fall fog, “Heartstopper” Season 2, complete with its cartoon drawings of leaves, waits for you starting August 3. “The Lincoln Lawyer: Season 2 Part 2” concludes the two-part followup to the legal drama starring Manuel Garcia-Rulfo. “Heart of Stone,” a big tentpole film starring Gal Gadot and Jamie Dornan, promises action-lovers a good time.

For those who didn’t get enough of the Depp v.

Netflix’s Choose Love gives romantic comedy fans a chance to decide who ends up with who. Choose Love, which just dropped a trailer, new photos, and a poster, allows viewers to pick the lead character’s career path and which of the assorted single males she’ll end up with.

Laura Marano (The Royal Treatment) leads the cast as Cami Conway, a recording engineer, and Avan Jogia (Zombieland: Double Tap) stars as Rex Galier, a British rock star. Scott Michael Foster (You) plays Paul, Cami’s boyfriend, and Jordi Webber (Power Rangers Ninja Steel) stars as Jack Menna, Cami’s first love. Rounding out the cast is Megan Smart (Class of ’07) as Amalia, Cami’s sister.

Stuart McDonald directs from a screenplay by Josann McGibbon. McGibbon, Robyn Snyder, Deborah Evans, Mel Turner, and Axel Paton serve as producers.

Choose Love premieres on Thursday, August 31, 2023.

Laura Marano as Cami...

Laura Marano and Jordi Webber in Choose Love Photo: Netflix Question: do you think the directors of Clue (1985) knew what they were setting in motion when they released the film with three different endings? Yes or No. If you weren’t immediately prepared to pick a lane, you have some real boning up to do.

Laura Marano and Jordi Webber in Choose LovePhoto: Netflix

Question: do you think the directors of Clue (1985) knew what they were setting in motion when they released the film with three different endings? Yes or No.

If you weren’t immediately prepared to pick a lane, you have some real boning up to do.

"I'm asking you to take a leap of faith with me." Netflix has revealed an official trailer for "interactive" romantic comedy from Netflix titled Choose Love. This is obviously exactly what you'd expect them to make one day - a love story where a young woman has to choose between three different men, but this time the viewer gets to pick in an "interactive" experience. Netflix has been testing this ever since the Bandersnatch episode of "Black Mirror". Cami Conway has it all, the perfect job and boyfriend but she feels that something is missing, and that feeling begins to grow when she meets the musician Rex, and an old love returns to her life. What she chooses depends wholly on you, the viewer. But be careful! Things don’t always play out like you think! Of course, there's scripted endings based on each one. The movie stars Laura Marano,...

Have you ever been so frustrated by a romantic comedy that you wanted to choose who the main character ends up with yourself? Now you can with the Netflix interactive film “Choose Love,” the trailer for which was released on Tuesday.

The story introduces Laura Marano as Cami Conway, who seems pretty satisfied with her life and boyfriend Paul (Scott Michael Foster) until she goes to see a tarot reader who points out that her life might be missing something. She doesn’t exactly love her sound-mixing job, but the rest is manageable.

The fun begins when she stumbles upon multiple life choices that could lead her in a different direction. She bumps into childhood beau Jack Menna (Jordi Webber) one day after he hadn’t crossed her mind in many years, and shortly after that — if the choice is made where she doesn’t kiss him when they catch...

Exclusive: Actor-producer Laura Marano, who most recently starred in and produced the Netflix romantic comedy, The Royal Treatment, has signed with Verve for representation.

The agency will also rep her Calabrian Rhode Productions company as they look to expand their slate following the success of the feature which held the No. 1 spot for three weeks following its global release on the streamer.

Up next, Marano is set to star in the first interactive romantic comedy for Netflix, Choose Love, which will start production in New Zealand shortly. Previously, Marano starred alongside Noah Centineo and Camila Mendes in The Perfect Date for Netflix and appeared in A War With Grandpa opposite Robert De Niro and Oakes Fegley. Marano was also seen in the 5x Oscar-nominated movie, Ladybird, from Greta Gerwig. She also starred in the family drama Saving Zoe, which she also produced alongside her mother Ellen and sister Vanessa. In addition to her onscreen credits,...