We present a new look at CHIP ‘N DALE: RESCUE RANGERS from SNL‘s Akiva Schaffer and starring a phenomenal Voice Cast.

Synopsis:

In “Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers,” Chip and Dale are living amongst cartoons and humans in modern-day Los Angeles, but their lives are quite different now. It has been decades since their successful television series was canceled, and Chip (voice of John Mulaney) has succumbed to a life of suburban domesticity as an insurance salesman. Dale (voice of Andy Samberg), meanwhile, has had CGI surgery and works the nostalgia convention circuit, desperate to relive his glory days. When a former castmate mysteriously disappears, Chip and Dale must repair their broken friendship and take on their Rescue Rangers detective personas once again to save their friend’s life. 

CHIP ‘N DALE: RESCUE RANGERS premieres May 20, 2022 on Disney+.

(Photo/video credit: Disney)

A new still has been released from Greta Gerwig‘s BARBIE, based on the beloved Mattel doll and starring and produced by Margot Robbie. With a Screenplay co-written by Gerwig and her partner Noah Baumbach, this upcoming Comedy already is stacked with an Awards-caliber pedigree!

Ryan Gosling, Kate McKinnon, Alexandra Shipp, America Ferrera, Simu Liu, Hari Nef and Will Ferrell all complete the stacked Cast!

Warner Bros. Pictures Canada release BARBIE July 21, 2023.

(Photo credit: Warner Bros. Pictures Canada)

Dave Portnoy gained famed being Founder of Sports and Pop Culture Blog BARSTOOL SPORTS, but managed to parlay that into becoming an Social Media star with his wildly-popular One Bite Pizza Reviews which take him city to city, reviewing pies with his brash, direct commentary. This has been a recipe for success, winning him millions of fans, making him a poster boy for “Bro Culture”.

Portnoy made his first visit to Toronto this week flying-in on a private jet from sunny Florida. In addition to having some fun watching the Boston Red Sox in action at Rogers Centre in a four-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays, concluding Thursday, he also came for work. Penn National Gaming purchased a 36% stake in Barstool Sports (in which he still retains creative control) back in 2020, and that same company also acquired theScore in 2021, the latter hosting Portnoy this week. He even visited their King Street West offices today in-between Pizza Reviews.

Thus far, Portnoy has sung the praises of Queen Street West’s North of Brooklyn’s Pizza (8.4/10), but then panned much-loved Maker Pizza fared worse score of 6.1/10, citing “doughiness”. He was spotted today at popular Blondies’ Pizza too so that review is coming-up soon!

BlogTO and Dave Portnoy went at it and they were both trending on Twitter, with the website calling popular Pizza spots around the City reminding them of allegations of misconduct that circulated, perhaps discouraging them from inviting him to their shops.

Portnoy then snapped back on his Instagram, adding the popular site to his “Hate List”, with his supporters also chiming-in to defend him on Twitter. Despite the drama, Portnoy was in good spirits, spotted at his hotel taking Selfies and signing autographs as he head-out to Rogers Centre and jokingly on some items he signed “F*CK BlogTO” along with his signature.

See some Snaps:

Portnoy is here till the end of the week. Cannot wait to see what more antics ensue!

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)

After a popular premiere at SXSW ’22, here comes the new Trailer for hilarious Whodunit BODIES BODIES BODIES!

Synopsis:

From Halina Reijn and starring Amandla Stenberg, Maria Bakalova, Myha’la Herrold, Chase Sui Wonders, Rachel Sennott, with Lee Pace and Pete Davidson. BODIES BODIES BODIES – Only In Theaters August 5. #BodiesBodiesBodies

BODIES BODIES BODIES is in theatres August 5, 2022.

(Photo/video credit: A24)

Ethan Hawke returns to Horror in THE BLACK PHONE. See the new Trailer.

Synopsis:

The phone is dead. And it’s ringing.

Director Scott Derrickson returns to his terror roots and partners again with the foremost brand in the genre, Blumhouse, with a new horror thriller. Finney Shaw, a shy but clever 13-year-old boy, is abducted by a sadistic killer and trapped in a soundproof basement where screaming is of little use. When a disconnected phone on the wall begins to ring, Finney discovers that he can hear the voices of the killer’s previous victims. And they are dead set on making sure that what happened to them doesn’t happen to Finney.

Starring four-time Oscar® nominee Ethan Hawke in the most terrifying role of his career and introducing Mason Thames in his first ever film role, The Black Phone is produced,

directed, and co-written by Scott Derrickson, the writer-director of Sinister, The Exorcism of Emily Rose and Marvel’s Doctor Strange.

The film’s screenplay is by Derrickson & C. Robert Cargill (Doctor Strange, Sinister franchise), based on the award-winning short story by Joe Hill from his New York Times bestseller 20th Century Ghosts. The film is produced by Derrickson & Cargill’s Crooked Highway and presented by Universal and Blumhouse. Jason Blum, Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill are producers on the film, which is executive produced by Ryan Turek and Christopher H. Warner.

Genre: Horror

Cast: Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, Jeremy Davies, James Ransone and Ethan Hawke

Directed by: Scott Derrickson

Screenplay by: Scott Derrickson & C. Robert Cargill

Based on the short story by Joe Hill

Producers: Jason Blum, Scott Derrickson, C. Robert Cargill

Executive Producers: Ryan Turek, Christopher H. Warner

THE BLACK PHONE arrives in theatres June 2, 2022.

(Photo/video credit: Universal Pictures Canada)

22-year-old Beverly Lynn Smith was murdered in her rural Oshawa home and the case remained unsolved for over four decades, as she left behind her ten-month-old daughter Rebecca. Prime Video Docu-Series THE UNSOLVED MURDER OF BEVERLY LYNN SMITH from Director/Producer Nathalie Bibeau, is part of the streaming service’s commitment to showcasing Canadian talent and stories, and explores this mystery in four parts. The investigation raises more questions the deeper it goes.

The first couple episodes of the Series start off on an intense note, taking us back to the mid-70s. These serve to give us a bit of backstory on the circumstances and surroundings as we meet key players in the story including Smith’s twin sister Barbara, a grown-up Rebecca, some of the officers involved in the investigation and Al Smith, who was arrested twice in connection to the killing, but still never convicted.

While moving into a farmhouse and having a baby with her husband Doug was meant to be a happily-ever-after, it was anything but. We learn that some days almost upwards of 150 people would pass through their home to buy drugs and perhaps the marriage wasn’t rosy. But still, what was at stake for Beverly Lynn Smith‘s killer taking her life, execution style?

Having grown-up in humble Oshawa, it is hard to believe that this is the same city I was born in as we learn of drug rings and an undercover police operation that sounded like it was part of a Thriller. We get wiretaps, police interviews, actual interviews with said key players, plus re-enactments in telling this suspenseful, twisted tale about a family’s search for justice when the crime remained unsolved for 40+ years. What went wrong we wonder that led to this remaining a cold case so long?

THE UNSOLVED MURDER OF BEVERLY LYNN SMITH premieres at Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival on April 30, 2022, before launching in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide on Prime Video on May 6, 2022.

Claire Danes and Tom Hiddleston star in THE ESSEX SERPENT, coming soon to Apple TV+. Just released is a new Trailer for the Series!

Synopsis:

Based on Sarah Perry’s bestselling novel of the same name will debut globally with its first two of six episodes on Friday, May 13, 2022.  

Starring a stellar cast led by Emmy and SAG Award winner Claire Danes, Emmy Award nominee Tom Hiddleston, Frank Dillane, Clémence Poésy and Hayley Squires, “The Essex Serpent” follows London widow Cora Seaborne (Danes) who moves to Essex to investigate reports of a mythical serpent. She forms an unlikely bond with the village vicar (Hiddleston), but when tragedy strikes, locals accuse her of attracting the creature. 

See the brand-new Trailer:

(Photo credit: Apple TV+)

In addition to the 2022 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival kicking-off this week this Thursday, April 28, 2022, Hot Docs have several premieres and series to present May 2022! In addition to premiering at the Festival, Jennifer Baichwal‘s INTO THE WEEDS will play at Ted Rogers Hot Docs Cinema. Series INTO SLEAZE NIGHTS celebrates the 2000s with films like SCOTT PILGRIM vs. THE WORLD. THE GODFATHER also celebrates its 50th anniversary and the Series The Movie You Can’t Refuse: The Godfather at 50 commemorates this. There’s also free programming at home for you as well!

More details as follows:

FILM PREMIERES
Cinema Ticket $15 (Members tickets from $10)
Streaming Ticket $9.99 (Members from $7.99)

WUHAN WUHAN
D: Yung Chang| China, USA, Canada | 90 min | 2021
Wuhan Wuhan is an observational documentary unfolding during February and March 2020 at the height of the pandemic in Wuhan city, where the coronavirus began. With unprecedented access at the peak of the pandemic lockdown, Wuhan Wuhan goes beyond the statistics and salacious headlines and puts a human experience into the early days of the mysterious virus as Chinese citizens and frontline healthcare workers grappled with an invisible, deadly killer.

Opens Monday, May 9  

FIDDLER’S JOURNEY TO THE BIG SCREEN
D: Daniel Raim| USA | 88 min | 2022
Take a nostalgic glimpse back into the making of the 1971 Hollywood masterpiece Fiddler on the Roof in this heartful documentary narrated by actor Jeff Goldblum and featuring rarely seen archival footage.
Pair with a special screening of the original Fiddler on the Roof on Saturday, May 14 / 2 PM

Opens Friday, May 13

INTO THE WEEDS
D: Jennifer Baichwal| Canada | 96 min | 2022
Debuting in-cinema on the heels of opening Hot Docs 2022, the latest from acclaimed director Jennifer Baichwal follows the David vs. Goliath story of a former groundskeeper who takes on a multinational agrochemical corporation after his terminal cancer diagnosis.

Opens Friday, May 20  

SERIES & SPECIAL EVENTS

Special Presentation
FIDDLER ON THE ROOF
D: Norman Jewison| USA | 179 mins | 1971
A fiddler on the roof. Sounds crazy, no? Watching Norman Jewison’s epic and timeless 1971 adaptation of the celebrated musical is a tradition all its own.
Playing alongside the new documentary Fiddler’s Journey to the Big Screen.

Saturday, May 14 / 2 PM

Indie Sleaze Nights
SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD
D: Edgar Wright| USA, UK, Canada, Japan | 112 mins | 2010
Scott Pilgrim just met the girl of his dreams…literally. But for them to date, he must defeat her seven evil exes! From the genre-smashing director of Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead comes “a true original” (Entertainment Weekly) powered up by wit, action and groundbreaking visuals—and the perfect opener to our new monthly Indie Sleaze series. Game on!

Friday, May 20 / 9 PM

This Film Should Be Played Loud
RADIOHEAD: MEETING PEOPLE IS EASY
D: Grant Gee| UK | 99 mins | 1998
No one ruled rock music in the 90s quite like Radiohead. On the 25th anniversary of their magnum opus Ok Computer, travel back to the golden age of hits like “Karma Police” by following the band on their 1997 world tour.

Saturday, May 21 / 9 PM

Quiet Time: Mindfulness at the Movies
BOREALIS
D: Kevin McMahon| Canada | 94 mins | 2021
Our Quiet Time series begins with a specially recorded guided meditation and this immersive cinematic journey through Canada’s boreal forest and the chorus of life that calls it home. It’s a wondrous ode to our country’s iconic wilderness—and a one-way ticket to a calmer, more centred mind.
Each Quiet Time session features a Guided Meditation from Toronto Mindfulness Teacher Moustafa Abdelrahman.

Sunday, May 22 / 1 PM

Human Rights Watch Film Festival
KLABONA KEEPERS
D: Tamo Campos, Jasper Snow-Rosen| Canada | 72 mins | 2022
Klabona Keepers is an intimate portrait of the dynamic Indigenous community that succeeded in protecting the remote Sacred Headwaters, known as the Klabona.

Thursday, May 26 / 7:30 PM

Human Rights Watch Film Festival
MARCH FOR DIGNITY
D: John Eames| Georgia | 74 mins | 2020
This film follows a small group of brave LGBTI+ activists in Tbilisi, Georgia as they attempt to conduct the first Pride march in the country, where homosexuality remains highly stigmatized

Saturday, May 28 / 8 PM

Human Rights Watch Film Festival
MUJER DE SOLDADO (SOLDIER’S WOMAN)
D: Patricia Weiss Risso| Peru | 83 mins | 2021
Mujer de Soldado is a deeply moving picture of female solidarity that finally provides space for the dignity of women’s experiences that has long been denied.

Saturday, May 28 / 3 PM

Human Rights Watch Film Festival
TACHELES: THE HEART OF THE MATTER
D: Jana Matthes, Andrea Schramm| Germany | 104 mins | 2020
This film follows the journey of this family’s painful confrontation with history that will forever change relationships and explores how trauma of survivors is inherited.

Sunday, May 29 / 1 PM

Human Rights Watch Film Festival
THE LAST SHELTER
D: Ousmane Samassekou | France, Mali, South Africa | 85 mins | 2021
Deep in Mali, in West Africa on the edge of the Sahel Desert, lies the peaceful city of Gao—a quiet way station for passersby with their eyes set on Europe in hopes of finding opportunity, safety, and a better future.

Sunday, May 29 / 7 PM 

CURIOUS MINDS SPEAKER SERIES
Course registration: $69 (Hot Docs Members: $60, $48, Free)

AMERICAN UTOPIAS: POP MUSIC AT THE MOVIES
Ever since the 1930s, the creators of Hollywood have brought popular music to life in their own Utopian image; either a better world was waiting somewhere over the rainbow, or else there was no place like home. In this six-week course, film critic and author Adam Nayman (Politics at the Movies) traces the evolution of the classic American movie musical from its origins up to the present, exploring the new popular music forms—rock, pop, disco, and more—that have flourished on the big screen. As we survey iconic movies and music videos—from The Wizard of Oz and A Hard Day’s Night to Saturday Night Fever and MTV—we’ll examine the cultural shockwaves produced by playing pop music on screen.

Wednesdays, 10 AM, May 25 – June 29

THE ART OF LIVING: THE HISTORY OF INTERIOR DESIGN
For as long as people have lived in homes, they’ve been striving to make their living spaces more beautiful, comfortable and functional. In this new series from Curious Minds favourite Barbara Isherwood (The Great Photographers, The Art of Picasso), we’ll trace the history of interior design from the ancient world to the present, assessing the fascinating, often dazzling, designs that have flourished along the way. As we journey from fabulous mansions and castles to sleek modern interiors and humble houses next door, this dynamic new series—perfect for fans of our past courses on art and architecture—will offer a unique perspective on some of history’s most fascinating people, places and homes.

Mondays, 1 PM, May 30 – July 4

TREASURES OF THE MODERN SILK ROUTES
The fabled Silk Routes were a series of global trade networks that transported luxury goods, decorative objects, people and ideas across some of history’s most extraordinary civilizations. Using rich archeological and archival materials, this series will explore how that cross-cultural exchange impacted artworks and cultures around the world from the 7th Century onwards–with effects that can still be felt today. Both a follow-up to his sold-out course The Treasures of the Ancient Silk Road, and a standalone series, this new course from Curious Minds favourite Sudharshan Durayappah will take you on a whirlwind tour of the arts and cultures that built the modern world.

Tuesdays, 10 AM, June 14 – July 19

FLORENCE: CRADLE OF THE RENAISSANCE
Florence is an almost mythical place in our cultural geography. It is a city so beautiful and so enriched with great art that it occupies a position unique in western civilization. In this new series from Curious Minds favourite Dr. Kenneth Bartlett (Venice: The City of Dreams, Rome: The Eternal City), we will explore this magical place and discuss how it gave birth to the Renaissance, inspired generations of expatriate artists and writers, and institutionalized values and ideas that still reverberate powerfully today.

Thursdays, 1 PM, June 16 – July 21 

HOT DOCS AT HOME FREE PROGRAMMING
Available now at hotdocs.ca

Made In Ukraine
THE EARTH IS SPINNING
D: Olena Kyrychenko| Ukraine | 20 mins| 2021
In spring 2020, Ukraine locks down under COVID, causing filmmaker Olena Kyrychenko to move back home with her parents. Deft and engrossing, this quarantine story reveals the hard work of holding memories, dreams, and reality together within a family, and of keeping love alive in everyday life.

Made In Ukraine
DIMA, DMITRY, DMYTRO, GLORY TO THE HEROES
D: Clemens Poole| Ukraine | 24 mins| 2021
A 1995 video shot by the Chepurnyi family on an outing in Luhansk is re-examined 26 years later by director Clemens Poole, with added narration from the perspective of the now-grown-up child in the video. The film brings into question how today’s values are projected onto images of the past.

Made In Ukraine
DON’T WORRY, THE DOORS WILL OPEN
D: Oksana Karpovych| Ukraine, Canada | 78 mins | 2019
Rolling from the capital Kyiv to smaller provincial towns and the stations between, director Oksana Karpovych delivers a richly detailed first feature. The dynamic rhythms of the daily routines she observes depict her homeland at a crossroads, but like the trains, it always keeps moving forward.

Made In Ukraine
I AM MICHELLE
D: Olena Siyatovska| Ukraine, Netherlands | 20 mins| 2021
The portrait of a 20-year-old transgender woman in Kyiv with dreams of becoming a model, as she returns to her hometown and reconnects with those who accept her while reassessing what she truly wants in life.

Made In Ukraine
THE RAIN WILL NEVER STOP
D: Alina Gorlova| Ukraine, Latvia, Germany, Qatar | 104 mins | 2020
Born to a Kurdish father and Ukrainian mother, Red Cross volunteer Andriy joins the frontlines in Donbas, essentially trading one war for another.

Made In Ukraine
THE VIEW FROM THE WINDOW
D: Anna Korzh| Ukraine | 19 mins| 2019
In the eastern Ukrainian town of Mariinka, 13-year-old Ruslana dreams of becoming a filmmaker, against her parents’ wishes. In this intimate video diary, shot over five years, she expresses her youthful optimism and captures the harsh realities facing her.  

The Movie You Can’t Refuse: The Godfather at 50
THE GODFATHER – 50TH ANNIVERSARY 4K RESTORATION
D: Francis Ford Coppola | USA | 175 mins| 1972
See Coppola’s masterpiece in a newly crafted 50th anniversary 4K digital restoration, overseen by the director himself.
WINNER – Oscar, Best Picture / Best Actor in a Leading Role (Marlon Brando) / Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium, Academy Awards, USA 1973

Saturday, May 21 / 1:30 PM

The Movie You Can’t Refuse: The Godfather at 50
NAS: TIME IS ILLMATIC
D: One9 | USA | 75 mins| 2014
Widely considered one of the best films ever made about hip-hop, this rarely screened documentary portrait of The Godfather-loving, Michael Corleone-quoting emcee Nas highlights the film’s profound impact on the genre.

Friday, June 3 / 9 PM

The Movie You Can’t Refuse: The Godfather at 50
THE FAMILY WHISTLE – EXCLUSIVE TORONTO PREMIERE
D: Michele Salfi Russo| Italy | 65 mins| 2015
Encounter the talented family members and vibrant Italian settings that inspired Coppola’s unforgettable family saga.

Saturday, June 4 / 4 PM

The Movie You Can’t Refuse: The Godfather at 50
THE SOPRANOS SESSIONS – EXCLUSIVE TORONTO PREMIERE
D: Kristian Fraga | USA | 114 mins| 2020
What better way to celebrate the cultural legacy of The Godfather than with the exclusive Toronto premiere of these fun documentary tributes to The Sopranos, the show widely considered its creative and spiritual heir?

Saturday, June 25 / 4 PM

The Movie You Can’t Refuse: The Godfather at 50
OUR GODFATHER
D: Mark Franchetti, Andrew Meier| UK, Russia | 93 mins| 2018
This stunning documentary thriller offers a riveting portrait of real-life Mafia kingpin-turned informant Tomasso Buscetta—and a vivid reminder of the lessons learned by the fictional Corleone family: “Once a Mafioso, always a Mafioso.”

Sunday, June 26 / 1 PM 

SNL‘s Bowen Yang, Margaret Cho and Joel Kim Booster star in Searchlight Pictures’ FIRE ISLAND, arriving on Hulu this Summer. Here’s the new Trailer for the Comedy celebrating queerness and romance!

Synopsis:

Set in the iconic Pines, Andrew Ahn’s FIRE ISLAND is an unapologetic, modern day rom-com showcasing a diverse, multicultural examination of queerness and romance. Inspired by the timeless pursuits from Jane Austen’s classic Pride and Prejudice, the story centers around two best friends (Joel Kim Booster and Bowen Yang) who set out to have a legendary summer adventure with the help of cheap rosé and their cadre of eclectic friends. Cast: Joel Kim Booster, Bowen Yang, Conrad Ricamora, and Margaret Cho.

FIRE ISLAND arrives on Disney+ June 3, 2022. .

(Photo/video credit: Searchlight Pictures)

Based on Lauren Beuke‘s best-selling Novel, Chicago-filmed SHINING GIRLS is set to arrive later this month on Apple TV+. Starring, produced and directed by Golden Globe, Primetime Emmy and SAG Award winner Elisabeth Moss, the genre-bending Series centers on Kirby Mazrachi, who must confront her traumatic past after being attacked violently by Harper Curtis (Jamie Bell). As aspiring Journalist herself, she teams with Reporter Dan Velazquez to uncover the truth, all as her present reality is ever-shifting.

Our Amanda Gilmore had the pleasure of chatting with the Cast and Creators of SHINING GIRLS, hot-off its premiere at SXSW ’22. Joining us were:

Elisabeth Moss (“Kirby Mazrachi”/Director/Executive Producer)
Wagner Moura (“Dan Velazquez”)
Silka Luisa (Showrunner/Executive Producer)
Michelle MacLaren (Director/Executive Producer)

ELISABETH MOSS

You wear multiple hats here as Producer, Director and Star. What made you want to tell Kirby‘s story to the world?

Moss: “I really wanted to work with the other people on the Show. Michelle MacLaren was gonna do the first two episodes, and Dana Reid four of them. Obviously, I’ve worked with Dana on The Handmaid’s Tale and Michelle I’ve always wanted to work with and we had this third spot for a Director. When they asked if I wanted to do it, I jumped at the chance to work with those women. I like the opportunity to work with other Directors and get inspired in that way. So as a Director, to get with these women I’ve admired so much – and have so much more experience than I do – and have watched for many years, to be learning from as a new Director, was the thing I leapt at.”.

A lot of reality shifting happens in Kirby‘s world. If you could shift into any reality what would it be?

Moss: “Honestly, I would shift it to be Bora Bora in one of those over-the-water huts and it would be a beautiful, beautiful day. I’ve been in Toronto since the end of November and Toronto winters – they are what they are – gotta love it. So that would be my reality shift. It’s so superficial and I’m really sorry!”.

“Where is Spring? Where is it coming? God, it’s maddening. I’ll meet you in Bora Bora!”.

WAGNER MOURA

Dan is a loving father and a truth-seeking Journalist. But there is a dichotomy to him as he is troubled. How did you balance those aspects?

Moura: “I think that’s great. That’s what you want as an Actor. To have a character that has different layers. I’m a father myself. I have three sons. And it was great to work with the kid who played my son. I was able to show a side of the character that brings a lot of humanity to a guy trying to raise a kid by himself and dealing with alcoholism, getting his life back in order and try to do Journalism. I think Dan is a really awesome character. When I first read it, I really wanted to play this guy.”.

Can you tell us about working with Jamie Bell and the rest of the Cast?

Moura: “Jamie is amazing. We had a few scenes together. Most of the scenes I have with Jamie I’m completely drunk, which is an extremely hard thing to pull-off. I’ve seen the first four episodes and he’s so creepy. But Jamie is a funny, lovely, cool guy to hang-out with in-between takes. I was drunk, he was making jokes. All the Cast was amazing. I love Erika Alexander who plays my boss in The Chicago Sun-Times. She’s an amazing Actress, really great to work with. We had a really great time in Chicago, it was Summer.”.

MICHELLE MACLAREN

Each episode directed by you is laced with mystery, but you almost manage to give us clarity on Kirby‘s reality-shifting world. What were some of the greatest challenges you faced in balancing those lines?

MacLaren: “That’s a really good question, Amanda. The biggest challenge is how much we reveal to the audience and how little do we reveal to the audience? Audiences are so sophisticated and smart today. We want to draw them in with the mystery and trying to figure it out. But we don’t them to be so lost they won’t be engaged. It’s a balance. In this case, the time-shifts are metaphors for the aftermath of trauma so we wanted you to feel unbalanced. We wanted you to feel that Kirby‘s life is constantly shifting. And what would that mean for you? We want to do it in a grounded, real way. We didn’t want to do it in a fantastical way. So it’s actually done a lot editorially. As the Show evolves, they get more complex and more convoluted in their execution. But they’re done in a way you can really identify with it.”.

You’ve worked on some of the most iconic Television franchises of our time. What drew you to the Shining Girls?

MacLaren: “Really good writing. Characters I felt invested-in. Lizzie Moss. And something I haven’t done before. It’s genre-bending, it’s different. It was a challenge. It scared me. I like to choose things that challenge me that put me out of my comfort zone. And I got to use different things from genres I’ve worked in to bring to this. And Apple TV+, I’ve collaborated with them before and I’m doing it again. I love working with them.”.

Does adapting an already beloved Novel add any more pressure than already is there?

MacLaren: “I happen to know that Lauren Beukes loved what Silka did in her adaptation. So I think if the Author is happy, that’s awesome. That’s really great and takes a little bit of the pressure off. If she’s supportive of it, that’s really wonderful. It’s always interesting. It’s like doing a sequel. Some people love it, some people don’t. It’s subjective storytelling. It’s Silka‘s version of Shining Girls. Hopefully, people will love it and there’s people that may miss certain things from the Book. You never know. But I think she did an amazing job of adapting a really challenging story.”.

SILKA LUISA

How did you navigate the pressures of adapting this beloved Novel especially seeing how this story involves a reality-shifting element?

Luisa: “I think because I loved it so much, I felt so intuitive. It felt the story was in my bones. It wasn’t so much a pressure. It felt like a pleasure, living in a world I was really connected to. Hopefully in the translation that really shows.”.

Can you walk us through the process of finding your Ensemble Cast?

Luisa: “So Lizzie was the first piece of Casting. It was fantastic because she came on right after the Pilot and became a part of the development process. So as we got a Writers’ Room and started to write more scripts, she actually helped shape Kirby‘s character. At that point, once we were closer to production we had to fill-out the rest of the Cast. Wagner gives an amazing performance. Jamie Bell brought so many unexpected turns I hadn’t imagined in Harper myself. As we got closer to production, we filled-out all those other roles.”.

SHINING GIRLS premieres globally on Apple TV+ Friday, April 29, 2022 with the first three episodes of the series and will be followed by one new episode dropping each week.

(Photo/video credit: Apple TV+)