At just 20 years old, Kane Parsons has already gone from anonymous internet horror experimenter to the youngest filmmaker ever to direct a feature for A24. What began as a series of eerie, lo-fi “Backrooms” videos uploaded online when Parsons was still a teenager has evolved into one of the most anticipated horror projects in recent memory—a surreal, psychologically disorienting feature adaptation starring Chiwetel Ejiofor.

Continue reading Kane Parsons On ‘Backrooms,’ Liminal Horror, “Lore Bloat” & Turning An Internet Phenomenon Into An A24 Film [Interview] at The Playlist.

J.J. Abrams’ first movie since “The Rise Of Skywalker” now has an official release date.

READ MORE: ‘Tesseract’: Glen Powell To Star In Upcoming Sci-Fi Film From ‘Mr. Robot’ Creator Sam Esmail

THR reports that Warner Bros. will release Abrams’ “The Great Beyond” in theaters on November 13 in an announcement that also officially confirms the blockbuster’s name change from the original “Ghostwriter.” Glen Powell leads the cast of the fantasy film, with Jenna Ortega, Emma Mackey, Sophie Okonedo, Merritt Wever, and Samuel L.

Continue reading Warner Bros. Slots J.J. Abrams’ ‘The Great Beyond’ With Glen Powell For November 13, Moves Sam Esmail’s ‘Panic Carefully’ To February 2027 at The Playlist.

Is Glen Powell‘s Hollywood stardom still ascendant or on the wane? After a couple of critical clunkers in “Chad Powers” and Edgar Wright‘s “The Running Man,” the actor’s rise to the status of A-List leading man isn’t as assured as it was in the wake of “Hit Man” and “Twisters.” But Powell has plenty of buzzy upcoming projects that could right his ship, including, THR reports, a new sci-fi film from “Mr.

Continue reading ‘Tesseract’: Glen Powell To Star In Upcoming Sci-Fi Film From ‘Mr. Robot’ Creator Sam Esmail at The Playlist.

Julia Roberts’ informal sabbatical appears to be official over. While she’s made just four films since 2018, she seems to have been galvanized by two auteur filmmakers: Sam Esmail (“Leave the World Behind”) and Luca Guadagnino (“After the Hunt”), and she appears to be poised to reteam with both soon. While Esmail’s thriller “Panic Carefully” with Roberts has already been shot, it sounds like another Guadagnino collaboration is waiting in the weeks.

Continue reading Julia Roberts Says Luca Guadagnino Already Has Another Film Being Written For Her & Confirms ‘Ocean’s 14’ Participation at The Playlist.

Who’s joining Julia Roberts on “Panic Carefully,” her follow-up with “Leave The World Behind” director Sam Esmail? Deadline reports Elizabeth Olsen is the first to join Roberts on the thriller’s cast list.  Esmail writes the film’s script along with directing, with the outlet describing it as a paranoid thriller in the veins of “Mr. Robot” and “Silence Of The Lambs.”   Shooting starts in England this January.

Continue reading ‘Panic Carefully’: Elizabeth Olsen Joins Julia Roberts For Sam Esmail’s Upcoming Paranoid Thriller at The Playlist.

Given this rising age of anxiety we’re in, where problems of uncertainty and instability feel like they’re global and yet local, intimate, and personal too, writer/director Sam Esmail’s unnerving global collapse thriller, “Leave The World Behind,” feels like it arrives at an all-too-perfectly timed moment. Its opening moments are arresting. Ethan Hawke’s father character, Clay Sanford, worries about job insecurity while his wife, Amanda (a terrifically cynical Julia Roberts, seemingly relishing to play a character this pessimistic and dark), stares out the window and delivers a striking monologue.

Continue reading ‘Leave The World Behind’ Review: Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali & Ethan Hawke Face The Anxiety Of A Collapsing World at The Playlist.

A nightmare Airbnb vacation at a remote location? We’ve all been there, and it is not a pleasant experience. We now get to watch from the comfort and safety of our homes as Oscar-winning stars Julia Roberts and Mahershala Ali are put through the wringer when the world comes apart around them.

READ MORE: ‘Leave The World Behind’ Teaser: Julia Robert, Ethan Hawke & Mahershala Ali Star In Sam Esmail’s Apocalyptic Thriller

“Leave The Word Behind” is adapted from Rumaan Alam’s psychological thriller novel of the same name, released in 2020.

Continue reading ‘Leave The Word Behind’ Trailer: Julia Roberts & Mahershala Ali Have A Nightmare Airbnb Vacation In Netflix Thriller at The Playlist.

“Leave the World Behind,” the new movie from Sam Esmail, creator of “Mr. Robot,” will receive its world premiere at the opening of the American Film Festival. Esmail is an alumnus of the AFI Festival, graduating from the Conservatory in 2004. While this is not Esmail’s feature film debut, he has certainly been more acclaimed for his television work.

“Leave the World Behind” marks a shift in his career.

Continue reading ‘Leave The World Behind’ Teaser:  Julia Robert, Ethan Hawke & Mahershala Ali Star In  Sam Esmail’s Apocalyptic Thriller at The Playlist.

The era of true crime podcasts, with stories of political intrigue and abuses of power, continues to sweep the nation. “Gaslit,” an upcoming limited series from Starz, looks to give another glimpse at one of the most disruptive events in American history: Watergate.

READ MORE: ‘Gaslit’ First Look & Trailer: Julia Roberts, Sean Penn, Betty Gilpin & More Star In A Watergate Series For Starz

Adapted from the first season of the Slate podcast “Slow Burn,” “Gaslit” examines the Watergate scandal from various different angles, from the accomplices and advisors to president Richard Nixon to the whistleblowers who dared to dig deep and find the truth.

Continue reading ‘Gaslit’ Trailer: Julia Roberts & Sean Penn Lead The Cast Of This Watergate Political Drama at The Playlist.

Almost exactly a year ago today, it was reported that “Mr. Robot” creator Sam Esmail was teaming up with Julia Roberts, Sean Penn, Joel Edgerton, and Armie Hammer to create a new political thriller series, “Gaslit.” Well, we now have more information about the show, including the network that will debut it. However, it appears that some things have changed over the past year.

Continue reading Sam Esmail’s ‘Gaslit’ Series Picked Up By Starz With Julia Roberts & Sean Penn Starring; Joel Edgerton Departs Project at The Playlist.

When it was announced that Peacock was rebooting “Battlestar Galactica,” fans were a bit apprehensive. Sure, the creator of “Mr. Robot,” Sam Esmail, is producing the show, which is a good thing. But the last time the show was rebooted, in the early ‘00s, courtesy of Ronald D. Moore, the show reached new heights with critical acclaim and one of the smartest sci-fi stories to grace TV in decades.

Continue reading ‘Battlestar Galactica’ Reboot Will Have An Experimental Release Strategy Blending Weekly & Binge-Watching at The Playlist.

After finding quick success with his USA Network cyber-thriller “Mr. Robot,” writer-director-producer Sam Esmail has been working hard crafting a number of high-profile series for various other networks, most notably being “Homecoming” on Amazon. And it appears he’s not stopping anytime soon, as he’s about to begin carving out viewership on ABC.

READ MORE: Julia Roberts & Denzel Washington To Star In New Netflix Thriller Directed By ‘Mr.

Continue reading ‘Mr. Robot’ Creator Sam Esmail Lands Two New Series On ABC at The Playlist.

It appears that Julia Roberts really enjoyed her time working with Sam Esmail on the Amazon TV series, “Homecoming.” We’ve already learned that the two are collaborating on yet another series. And now, Roberts is set to star opposite Denzel Washington in a new film directed by the “Mr. Robot” creator.

READ MORE: The Russo Brothers Directing Chris Evans & Ryan Gosling In Netflix’s Most Expensive Film To Date, ‘The Gray Man’

According to Deadline, Roberts has signed on to star alongside Washington in the new film, “Leave the World Behind,” directed by Esmail.

Continue reading Julia Roberts & Denzel Washington To Star In New Netflix Thriller Directed By ‘Mr. Robot’ Creator at The Playlist.

The highly-anticipated reboot/revival of “Battlestar Galactica” is one step closer to invading your streaming screens. Produced by Sam Esmail, the new ‘BSG’ has found its leader—Michael Lesslie.

According to Deadline, Lesslie has been recruited to be the lead writer and showrunner for the new “Battlestar Galactica” series that is in development over at Peacock (NBCUniveral’s new streaming service that is expected to launch this summer).

Continue reading ‘Battlestar Galactica’: ‘Assassin’s Creed’ Writer Set To Script & Showrun The Revival Series Produced By Sam Esmail at The Playlist.

Unless you’re a special type of Hollywood historian, you are probably not familiar with the woman known as Angelyne. But thanks to a new series coming to the Peacock streaming service, folks will be introduced to the crazy life of the billboard star.

“Billboard” meaning real billboards that you see as you drive around town, not the music magazine that publishes popularity lists. You see, as the trailer explains, the new series “Angelyne” follows the story of a Los Angeles woman that is desperate to get famous.

Continue reading ‘Angelyne’ Trailer: Emmy Rossum & Martin Freeman Star In The True Story Of An Unlikely Celebrity at The Playlist.

Julia Roberts must have really enjoyed working with “Mr. Robot” creator Sam Esmail on the Amazon series, “Homecoming,” because she’s about to team with him again for another limited series, titled “Gaslit.” And they’re bringing along some A-list talent to help.

READ MORE: Julia Roberts Returns To Amazon To Star In And Produce A New Limited Series

According to Variety, Julia Roberts and Esmail are teaming up for a limited series based on the Watergate scandal, titled “Gaslit.” The series is also set to star Sean Penn, Armie Hammer, and Joel Edgerton.

Continue reading Julia Roberts, Sean Penn, Armie Hammer & Joel Edgerton To Star In Sam Esmail’s New Series ‘Gaslit’ at The Playlist.

The logline for USA Network’s upcoming “Briarpatch” simply calls the series “a twisted tale in ten parts.” And in the new trailer for the mystery series, it’s clear that there’s going to be plenty of twists and turns, involving some not-so-good people trying to hide the identity of a murderer.

“Briarpatch” tells the story of Allegra Dill, a woman who must come back to her home town to investigate the death of her sister.

Continue reading ‘Briarpatch’ Trailer: Rosario Dawson Investigates A Murder In This Twisted Tale at The Playlist.

Are you ready to Peacock and Chill? Doesn’t really have the same ring to it, huh? But what if I were to tell you the new NBCUniversal streaming service that is coming in 2020 is going to be the home to a ton of new reboots, including a new “Battlestar Galactica?” Yeah, yeah, we’re all sick of reboots. But hey, Peacock is going to have “Parks and Rec” and “The Office.” Ah, see, that’s going to get a lot of attention.

Continue reading Peacock & Chill? NBCUniversal Unveils Streaming Lineup With Sam Esmail’s ‘Battlestar Galactica’ Reboot, ‘Saved By The Bell’ Reboot & More at The Playlist.

USA Networks‘ Emmy and Golden Globe-winning “Mr. Robot” is coming to a close in a final fourth season that arrives this fall. The buzz on the show seems to be long gone, but maybe the series served its purpose? Rami Malek wasn’t much of a name before the show started, though there were some nice small turns in arthouse movies like “The Master” and “Ain’t Them Bodies Saints,” but “Mr.

Continue reading ‘Mr. Robot’ Final Season 4 Trailer: The Hacker War Comes To An End In October at The Playlist.

With Peak TV flooding the world with hundreds and hundreds of programs each and every year, networks and streaming services really have to showcase series that stand out in some way to hopefully survive in 2019. And in the case of the upcoming USA Network series “Briarpatch,” there are several standout reasons why you should pay attention.

As seen in the first trailer for the series, the big reason to watch “Briarpatch” is it covers the typical whodunit murder-mystery story but in a unique way.

Continue reading ‘Briarpatch’ Trailer: The Creator Of ‘Mr. Robot’ Gives Us A ‘Fargo’-Esque Crime Series Starring Rosario Dawson at The Playlist.

For a while now, we’ve known that the upcoming fourth season of “Mr. Robot” would be its last. The Emmy-winning series has served as a breakout gig for its star Rami Malek, who recently won an Oscar for his performance in the film “Bohemian Rhapsody,” and creator Sam Esmail, who has his hands full with various projects. But now, as we approach the conclusion of the tech thriller series, we’re getting an idea of what fans might expect with the final batch of “Mr.

Continue reading ‘Mr. Robot’ Final Season Teaser: Rami Malek’s Emmy-Winning Series Ends Its Run This Fall at The Playlist.

One of the best byproducts of the Peak TV era is the willingness by creators and networks to end a series before it overstays its welcome. In the past, particularly with American TV, networks would run a show into the ground, treading water for years, just because it would draw ratings. But now, that’s not the case. And because of this newfound creative confidence, people like Sam Esmail are able to walk away from a TV series like “Mr.

Continue reading ‘Mr. Robot’ Creator Says Network & Cast Didn’t Want The Series To End But There Wasn’t Enough Material For More Seasons at The Playlist.

Judging by the series’ previous seasons, it shouldn’t be too surprising that “Mr. Robot” isn’t going to end its run in the traditional way. Throughout the first three seasons of the cable series, creator Sam Esmail and his cast have continued to subvert viewers’ expectations by throwing in twists and turns that you probably wouldn’t have seen coming. And with its final run, the upcoming Season 4, “Mr.

Continue reading ‘Mr. Robot’ Creator Says The Upcoming Final Season Will Be “One Very Long Christmas Special” at The Playlist.

You likely know writer, director and showrunner Sam Esmail from his breakout series “Mr. Robot.”  But the Emmy-nominated visionary showrunner actually has something new for you to binge on beginning this Friday.  On the same day that “Mr. Robot’s” star, Rami Malek, appears in the biggest movie of his career, “Bohemian Rhapsody,”  Esmail will make an equally impressive jump with his new series, “Homecoming.”  And, frankly, in this era of Peak TV where prestige players debut on a weekly basis, Esmail has helped shape one of the more impressive pieces of original narrative content this year.

Continue reading Sam Esmail On The “Effortless” Julia Roberts And Giving ‘Homecoming’ An Ending [Interview] at The Playlist.

Julia Roberts makes an impressive television debut in Amazon’s half-hour drama “Homecoming.” With all 10 episodes directed by “Mr. Robot” creator Sam Esmail, “Homecoming” aesthetically and thematically can be viewed as an unofficial companion piece to that show. While sometimes overwhelmed by Esmail’s stylistic choices, “Homecoming” is a well-crafted paranoid mystery that is engrossing for its short runtime.

Adapted from their popular Gimlet Media podcast of the same name by creators Micah Bloomberg and Eli Horowitz, “Homecoming” follows case worker Heidi Bergman (Julia Roberts), whose work at the Homecoming facility sees her help combat veterans reintegrate into civilian life.

Continue reading Julia Roberts Gives Her Best Performance In Years In Sam Esmail’s ‘Homecoming’ Amazon Series [Review] at The Playlist.