
movies
Jon Batiste To Narrate/E.P. ‘American Amazon’ Doc For Super Big Screen
EXCLUSIVE: Grammy-winning musician and actor Jon Batiste is inviting audiences on a spectacular journey through natural wonders of a part of the country he knows very well, “the vast network of wetlands spanning Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and the Carolinas.”
MacGillivray Freeman Films announced Thursday that New Orleans-area native Batiste will narrate and serve as executive producer on American Amazon, a documentary set to premiere November 13 in select IMAX and giant screen theaters and museums. It will debut as a two-part miniseries on PBS’ Nature in early 2027.
Batiste not only narrates but appears on screen in American Amazon, which hails from Grizzly Creek Films and The WNET Group’s Nature. We have your exclusive look at the trailer below, which features stunning photography of the wetlands that deserve to be known, as the film suggests, as the American Amazon.
A release notes that terrain qualifies as “one of North America’s least explored and biologically rich regions… Batiste brings a powerful emotional resonance to this immersive journey, elevating the film’s celebration of nature, culture, and human connection to the ecosystem.”
Batiste, an 8-time Grammy winner, commented, “I love introducing people to the swamp. Growing up in Louisiana, I’ve always felt a deep connection to the landscapes, culture, and spirit of my home. I think the South is sacred soil. American Amazon reveals the wild side that many people have never seen. It’s a world of extraordinary beauty, mystery, and life – hiding right in our own backyard. We’re celebrating the power of nature, creativity, and human connection – and this is just the beginning!”
Eric Bendick of Grizzly Creek Films wrote, directed, and co-produced the documentary. “Jon Batiste brings the American Amazon to life,” the filmmaker observed. “His creativity, passion, and energy invite us to fall in love with this wild and mysterious place that is truly the world’s best kept secret. His voice is a perfect match for all the drama and soul-stirring beauty of this landscape, allowing audiences to connect with the untamed spirit of the wild South.”
Co-producer Thomas Winston of Grizzly Creek Films noted, “Jon’s ability to move between joy, wonder, and reflection makes him an ideal narrator for this story. He brings a unique perspective that amplifies the film’s message of appreciation and stewardship. American Amazon marks an exciting new chapter in our ongoing collaboration with Jon—and there’s more to come.”
The documentary, shot over the course of four years, reveals an ancient and mysterious landscape defined by towering two-thousand-year-old cypress trees, labyrinthine flooded forests, a network of wild rivers, and an astonishing array of wildlife, according to the release. “From the mass migration of swallow-tailed kites—the world’s only social raptor—to the elusive behaviors of American black bears in the swamp, the film uncovers a world teeming with life, discovery, and enduring surprises.”
“American Amazon shines a light on one of the most ecologically important and least understood regions in North America,” said Fred Kaufman, executive producer of Nature. “Jon brings a rare authenticity to this story. His voice captures not only the wonder of the natural world, but also the deep cultural connection between the people, places, and wildlife that make the American South so extraordinary.”
MacGillivray Freeman Films is recognized as the world’s leading independent producer and distributor of giant screen films. Its many productions include Superhuman Body (2024), Ireland (2022), Out Where the West Begins (2021), America’s Musical Journey (2018), National Parks Adventure (2016), and Journey to the South Pacific (2013).
“Having worked with Jon previously on our giant screen film America’s Musical Journey, I’ve seen firsthand the incredible artistry and range he brings to every project,” said Shaun MacGillivray, president of MacGillivray Freeman Films. “He is an extraordinary talent, and his ability to connect with audiences through music and storytelling makes him the perfect voice for American Amazon.”
Watch the trailer for American Amazon here:
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movies
Watch ‘Outlander: Blood Of My Blood’ Season 2 Trailer
Starz has released the first trailer (above) for Outlander: Blood of My Blood for Season 2, setting up a journey back in time to 1700s Scotland and the start of the Jacobite uprising. New episodes of the prequel series debut on Friday, September 18, with new episodes dropping weekly on Fridays only on Starz.
Everyone has their own war to fight in Season 2, with devastating effects as the series’ two young couples desperately try to find their ways back to each other amid brutal battles, shifting loyalties, clan politics, and the unknown elements of traveling through the infamous standing stones of Craigh Na Dun.
Season 1 of Outlander: Blood of My Blood introduced viewers to the two different love stories featuring the parents of Claire and Jamie as they met and fought to be together against all odds.
In the second season of Outlander: Blood of My Blood, the two couples are separated once again as
the Scottish Highlands are split in two by the 1715 Jacobite Rising, thrusting the clans into war
and forcing them to choose a side in the rebellion. With the fiery crosses lit, Brian and his cousin Murtagh must return to Castle Leathers and pledge to fight beside his father, the scheming Simon Fraser, Lord Lovat.
Ellen reluctantly returns to Castle Leoch to find her brothers, Colum and Dougal, feuding over how to respond to the call to arms. She cleverly devises a plan to protect Clan MacKenzie from the Crown regardless of the outcome of the uprising. Meanwhile, Henry and Julia Beauchamp, finally reunited after their unexpected journey back in time left them lost and separated, are ready to return to their time and their daughter, Claire.
When their plan goes horribly awry, the couple is parted once again. Separated from his love and
hope, Henry must grapple with his mental health, as he fights to find his way back to Julia, who
is forced to return to Castle Leathers and contend with her sinister husband, Lord Lovat.
The series stars Jeremy Irvine as Henry Beauchamp and Hermione Corfield as Julia Beauchamp, Claire’s parents; and Jamie Roy as Brian Fraser and Harriet Slater as Ellen MacKenzie, Jamie’s parents. In addition, the cast also includes Tony Curran as Simon Fraser, Lord Lovat; Séamus McLean Ross as Colum MacKenzie; Sam Retford as Dougal MacKenzie; Rory Alexander as Murtagh Fitzgibbons Fraser; and Conor MacNeill as Ned Gowan.
Watch the trailer above.
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movies
Anna Louizos Dead: Broadway Scenic Designer Of ‘Avenue Q’ Was 69
Anna Louizos, a prolific, three-time Tony nominated Broadway scenic designer whose work brought vivid life to such productions as Avenue Q, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In the Heights, School of Rock, Steel Magnolias and the 2012 revival of The Mystery of Edwin Drood, died Wednesday, May 25, in New York City of multiple myeloma. She was 69.
Her death was announced by her wife, producer Robyn Goodman, who noted that Louizos’ death followed a series of health challenges stemming from a horseback riding accident while on vacation in Greece last year.
Born June 24, 1957, in Marysville, California, Louizos moved to New York City to pursue a degree in acting at NYU. As her talent for the visual arts emerged, she shifted her studies to Scenic Design, graduating with an MFA from Tisch School of the Arts.
One of her first major assignments was to serve as art director of the Tony Awards telecast in 1993, for which she received an Emmy Award nomination. Her early years as associate scenic designer on Broadway during the 1990s and early 2000s included such shows as The Red Shoes, Scarlett Pimpernel and, under the tutelage of her beloved mentor Tony Walton, Taller Than a Dwarf and Uncle Vanya.
She was the principal scenic designer on the 2003 breakout hit and surprise Tony winner Avenue Q, and her designs would continue with the show as it moved to Off Broadway, London, Las Vegas and on tour. Her design of a rundown outer borough NYC city block would become a visual staple of Avenue Q, and can currently be seen in the West End revival.
Louizos was nominated three times for the Tony Award – High Fidelity (2006), In The Heights (2008) and The Mystery of Edwin Drood (2012). For those productions, she created, respectively, an old-school vinyl record store, the vibrant streets of contemporary Washington Heights, and a 19th Century English cathedral city.
In a social media post, Miranda, wrote, “I will never forget the first time [his wife] Vanessa saw the set of In The House, tears streaming down her face: ‘How did you get MY block on that stage?’ It was a refrain I would hear again and again from Washington Heights residents AND people all over the world: That’s MY block. That’s MY home. That was the gift of Anna Louizos, our unforgettable and brilliant set designer and friend….She built us a set and a home so real that it still reverberates in every production since.”
He added, “And I’m looking out my window this morning, on the same block where my wife grew up, still in awe that she got it all on that stage. She built our home. Thank you, Anna. Alabanza. Para siempre.”
Her other Broadway credits included included fairy tale glamour of the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical Cinderella, Honeymoon in Vegas, Curtains, White Christmas, Steel Magnolias, Holiday Inn, Golda’s Balcony, The Performers, Dames at Sea, All About Me, Baby It’s You, To Be Or Not To Be and It Shoulda Been You, all during the first two decades of the 2000s.
She also was art director in 2003 for several episodes of Sex and the City.
Louizos also designed for regional theater and Off Broadway, including Jonathan Larson’s Tick, Tick…Boom!, Sons of the Prophet, Olive and Charles Busch’s The Bitter Herbs, Crimes of the Heart and The Foreigner.
Most recently Louizos designed the set for the Broadway-bound musical Regency Girls in its world premiere this year at the Old Globe in San Diego. Other recent regional productions include Fiddler on the Roof with Jason Alexander, West Side Story, Peter Pan and 18 shows at Bucks County Playhouse in New Hope, Pennsylvania
In 2011, Louizos created the Broadway Design Exchange, a space where artists, designers, artisans and craftspeople of the entertainment community could share their work. The organization paid tribute to Louizo on its Instagram page: “Fifteen years ago, Anna had a dream: to create a place where the incredible artists, designers, artisans, and craftspeople of our entertainment community could share their work with the people who love it. That dream became Broadway Design Exchange. But Anna created so much more than a marketplace. She created a community. A place where designers could be celebrated for the extraordinary work that so often happens behind the scenes. A place where fans and collectors could own a little piece of the magic. And, perhaps most importantly, a place that felt like family.
“Anna was our fearless leader,” the statement continues, “our champion, our creative force, and our friend. Her generosity, humor, talent, and enormous heart touched so many people. We are devastated by this loss.”
Louizos and Goodman, a couple for 29 years, were married in 2013. In addition to her wife, Louizos is survived by mother Diana Louizos, brother Nikolas Louizos and sister Justina Woltman.
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movies
Odette Annable Leads Cast In Horror ‘Postmortem’, First Look Revealed
EXCLUSIVE: Cloverfiel and The Unborn star Odette Annable is leading cast in horror Postmortem alongside Allegra Leguizamo (Tin Soldier), Julio Cesar Cedillo (Sicario), Andres Londono (Fear the Walking Dead) and Tony Revolori (Scream VI).
Ahead of the TIFF market, LA-based Sublimity Entertainment is launching international sales on the under-the-radar feature written and directed by Colombian genre filmmaker Andrés Beltrán (Quicksand).
The film, currently in post-production, follows “Helena (Annable), a forensic medical investigator overwhelmed by grief following the death of her husband Richard (Andres Londono). When she becomes obsessed with a disturbing new case, Helena begins to believe she can bring Richard back, setting in motion a series of terrifying consequences.” Below is a first-look image.
Annable is also known for her key roles in popular TV series including Walker, Supergirl and House.
Beltrán previously directed English-language survival thriller Quicksand, released by Shudder and AMC+, and Colombian horror film Tarumama, which played the Sitges International Film Festival. His TV credits include Netflix’s Wild District, Amazon’s Primate, and Vix horror anthology La Hora Marcada. He won Best Director at Colombia’s India Catalina Awards for historical drama Bolívar, which also earned him a Best Director nomination at the Seoul International Drama Awards.
Postmortem is produced by Jason Cherubini, Roberto Urbina and Martin Ramos of Cinestesia Films. Luisa Velosa, Alma Hernandez-Hercules, John Harris, J. Todd Harris, Marc Marcum and Thomas Pettinelli serve as executive producers.
“Postmortem combines an emotional story about grief and loss with elevated genre filmmaking. Andrés brings a distinctive voice and visual style to an eerie and suspenseful story about the terrifying places love can take us,” said Sublimity Entertainment CEO Ryan McCombs.
Sublimity Entertainment is led by CEO and co-founder Ryan McCombs and COO and co-founder Alfredo Lara Orbezo.
Beltran is repped by Kiraco; Annable is repped by UTA and Mosaic; and Leguizamo is repped by Mosaic and the Kohner Agency; Cedillo is repped by Buchwald, the Mary Collins Agency and Spellbound Entertainment; Revolori is with Verve and Circle Management and Londono is with Global Artists Agency.
‘Postmortem’, credit: Sublimity
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