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Disney's adaptation of The Lone Ranger is finally back in the saddle after the studio shut down production in August over the movie's reported $250+ million budget. After director Gore Verbinski and producer Jerry Bruckheimer worked to bring down the budget, which Bruckheimer said took "four to six weeks" to get the budget down to an more acceptable $215 million (which still seems like a lot, but we digress) and were rewarded with a May 2013 release date in October.
With production rescheduled for February, it was reported that the movie's leads were intact, with Armie Hammer (The Social Network) remaining in the title role, Johnny Depp set to play Tonto — a role he's been attached to since 2008 — but what wasn't clear was whether the movie would retain its supporting cast, but Deadline reports that the rest of the cast will also be retained.
Tom Wilkinson (The Kennedys), originally cast in June, will still play railroad tycoon Latham Cole, a character who is, as we expected, the movie's main villain. Ruth Wilson (BBC's Luther), originally cast in July, will be back as Rebecca, The Lone Ranger's female lead.
kingsley enters Ender's game >> Posted 12.11.11 by Ryan -
After winning a Lead Actor Emmy for his role as Bobby Kennedy in the Reelzchannel miniseries The Kennedys, Barry Pepper has lined up roles in the noir drama Broken City and the action thriller Snitch. Both movies are shooting simultaneously in Louisiana.
20th Century Fox's Broken City stars Mark Wahlberg as a Brooklyn detective hired by the mayor (Russell Crowe) to investigate his wife's indiscretions only to discover a deeper conspiracy when the wife's lover is found dead. Variety reports Pepper has been cast as a mayoral candidate who runs against Crowe's character.
Production on Broken City begins this month. Allen Hughes (The Book of Eli) is directing a script written by newcomer Brian Tucker. Catherine Zeta-Jones co-stars.
more about Snitch; Tatum could be The Man From U.N.C.L.E. >> Posted 11.15.11 by Ryan -
When it comes to picking our favorite moments at this year's Primetime Emmy Awards, not surprisingly Barry Pepper taking home the Lead Actor statuette for his portrayal of Bobby Kennedy in The Kennedys heads the list.
Other highlights include Melissa McCarthy's and Margo Martindale's sweetly emotional speeches, the Dunphy domination in the Best Supporting Actor/Actress in a Comedy category, and the Daily Show writers' absurdly awkward acceptance speech. We also were both amused and confused by the Emmys choir and Joel McHale's inexplicable presence therein.
more best (and worst) moments >> Posted 09.18.11 by Mandy -
The Kennedys is not waiting for the Emmys to start collecting awards. The epic eight-part movie event, which aired on Reelz, was a big winner at the Gemini Awards, Canada's top TV honors (The Kennedys was shot in the country). Barry Pepper, who played Bobby Kennedy, won for Lead Actor in a Drama or Mini Series and Diana Hardcastle, who played his mother, Rose Kennedy, won for Best Supporting Actress. The Kennedys also won Best Photography in a Drama or Mini Series. Catch it again, starting November 6.
The Pillars of the Earth won Best Movie or Mini Series at the Gemini Awards — exciting news since we'll be airing this sweeping nine-part mini series starting Sunday, December 4. The Pillars of the Earth stars Ian McShane, Rufus Sewell, and Donald Sutherland.
Both The Kennedys and The Pillars of the Earth are nominated for several awards each at the upcoming Emmys. For the first time, this year ReelzChannel is broadcasting the Creative Arts Emmy Awards. Watch them the night before the Primetime Emmys, Sept. 17, at 8PM ET/PT. ReelzChannel is on DirecTV channel 238, Dish Network channel 299, and available on your cable or satellite system.
Sign up for Kennedys alerts and Pillars of the Earth alerts to get email reminders right before each series airs, with tune-in dates and times.
Posted 09.01.11 by reelz -
Not satisfied with garnering 10 Emmy nominations last month, The Kennedys — the 8-part movie event you almost weren't allowed to see — has also charmed another 10 noms for the Gemini Awards.
The Geminis hono(u)r the best in Canadian television (the Canadian equivalent to the Emmys) and as The Kennedys is a joint production, filmed in Canada and airing on the Canadian History Channel, they qualify. The mini-series even stars some Canadians (Barry Pepper and Kristin Booth).
See the nominations >> Posted 08.04.11 by reelz -
The posse's really coming together for Disney's adaptation of The Lone Ranger. British actress Ruth Wilson (BBC's Luther) was recently cast as the female lead of Rebecca, and now four new actors will be joining Armie Hammer (The Social Network), who will play the titular role, and Johnny Depp, who will play a more expanded version of the Lone Ranger's trusty sidekick Tonto.
THR reports that Dwight Yoakam, Barry Pepper, and Helena Bonham Carter are all in negotiations for the movie, which will be directed by Gore Verbinski (Rango, the first three Pirates of the Caribbean movies).
who will they play? >> Posted 07.20.11 by Ryan -
This morning nominations for the 2011 Primetime Emmy Awards were announced and The Kennedys was recognized in 10 categories, including Outstanding Miniseries or Movie. Both Greg Kinnear (JFK) and Barry Pepper (RFK) are up for Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie, and Tom Wilkinson (Joe Kennedy Sr.) was nominated for Supporting Actor. Here's the full list of The Kennedys nominations.
– Outstanding Miniseries or Movie
– Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie — Greg Kinnear
– Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie — Barry Pepper
– Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie — Tom Wilkinson
– Outstanding Art Direction for a Miniseries or Movie
– Outstanding Cinematography for a Miniseries or Movie
– Outstanding Hairstyling for a Miniseries or a Movie
– Outstanding Makeup for a Miniseries or a Movie (Non-Prosthetic)
– Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music
– Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Miniseries or a Movie
If you missed the series the first time we aired it, The Kennedys will re-air this November, starting November 6. Sign up here to get alerts, including airdates and times for your satellite or cable provider.
Posted 07.14.11 by reelz -
If you missed it the first time around, you have a second chance to catch the 8-part movie event this weekend on ReelzChannel. The Kennedys will air in its entirety over Saturday and Sunday. ReelzChannel CEO, Stan Hubbard, commented on the network's record-breaking number of viewers who tuned in for the original run.
Viewers responded strongly to the tightly scheduled mini-series format that played out over nine nights during the World Premiere week. The intensity of viewing was so remarkably consistent on an episode by episode basis, we’re doing it again in an even tighter schedule.
The Kennedys airs in mini-marathons, with four episodes airing back to back. Episodes 1-4 air Saturday, April 16, starting at 10am ET / 7am PT and then again at 10pm ET / 7pm PT. Episodes 5-8 air on Sunday, April 17, starting at 10am ET / 7am PT and then again at 10pm ET/ 7pm PT.
Posted 04.15.11 by reelz -
Missed one or more episodes of The Kennedys? Catch up this weekend with a marathon of the movie event that earned 4 stars from the New York Post and was described by GQ magazine as "the best depiction of this doomed and overreaching clan ever put to TV." Then don't miss the dramatic 2-hour conclusion Sunday night. During the April 10 finale, producers Joel Surnow, Steve Kronish, and Jonathan Koch will be answering questions via Twitter. So make sure you use the hashtag #TheKennedys when you tweet your questions.
Get Marathon and Finale Times >> Posted 04.08.11 by reelz -
It was a huge night for ReelzChannel and The Kennedys.
1.9 million people watched the world premiere of the The Kennedys, a record for ReelzChannel. The Kennedys received a 2.5 gross household coverage area rating. For comparison, the popular Mad Men had 2.3 million viewers for its season three finale.
Acquiring The Kennedys after The History Channel opted to not air the eight-part movie proved to be a successful risk for ReelzChannel and CEO Stan E. Hubbard.
Viewers across America showed their ongoing fascination with the Kennedy family and, specifically, their desire to see such a star-studded cast in the highly-anticipated The Kennedys. In acquiring The Kennedys, our aim was to give viewers an opportunity to watch an incredible movie event with massive star power and to also put a spotlight on our network like never before. Viewers proved they could find our relatively new and independent network and when they did, Greg, Barry, Katie and Tom delivered!
Watch encore showing tonight >> Posted 04.04.11 by reelz