HISTORY® ORDERS 20 EPISODE SIXTH SEASON OF HIT DRAMA SERIES ‘VIKINGS’

KATHERYN WINNICK TO MAKE DIRECTORIAL DEBUT

Two-Hour Season Five Premiere Airs Wednesday, November 29 at 9PM ET/PT

New York, NY – September 12, 2017 – HISTORY has ordered a 20 episode sixth season of the hit drama series “Vikings,” it was announced today by Eli Lehrer, Executive Vice President of Programming, HISTORY. Additionally, series regular Katheryn Winnick is set to helm one episode in season six, marking her directorial debut. Production for season six is slated to begin this fall in Ireland.

The previously ordered 20 episode fifth season will air in two parts, beginning with a two-hour premiere on Wednesday, November 29 at 9PM ET/PT followed by eight episodes airing every Wednesday at 9PM ET/PT. The remaining ten episodes of season five are slated to air in 2018.

Across all platforms, the last season of “Vikings” averaged 7.8 million viewers per episode. “Vikings” is a top five drama across ad supported cable and averaged 4.1 million total viewers last season in Live+7 delivery. Additionally, the series reached 34.3 million total viewers in linear Live+7.

“‘Vikings’ has creatively sailed to monumental lengths. The series has evolved from early raids in England, to the heart-stopping death of Ragnar Lothbrok, to the fierce battles of the Great Heathen Army, and now we’ll see the sons of Ragnar exploring and conquering the known world,” said Lehrer. “Michael Hirst has only scratched the surface of his epic saga. We look forward to continuing our partnership with one of the greatest writers in this era of Peak TV and entertaining our viewers with 40 new episodes over the next two seasons.”

“It has been my pleasure and my privilege to work with HISTORY and our partner MGM over five seasons and 69 episodes of ‘Vikings.’ Now we are ready to begin production of a 20 episode season six that will deliver a huge and unexpected revelation to our audience,” said Michael Hirst, creator and executive producer.  “There are many reasons why I love this show, not least for the commitment and creativity of everyone involved in making it, but perhaps even more important is the spirit that drives this production - one of the happiest, most collaborative and most authentic productions I have ever been involved with. And so we sail on.”

“Vikings” is the critically acclaimed series from creator and sole writer Michael Hirst(Academy Award® winning film Elizabeth and the Emmy® and Golden Globe® nominated series “The Tudors”) and is a family saga that tells the remarkable tales of the lives and epic adventures of the raiders and explorers of the Dark Ages. Season five cast includes series regulars Jonathan Rhys Meyers (“The Tudors”), who joined this season, as “Bishop Heahmund” along with Katheryn Winnick (“Lagertha”), Gustaf Skarsgård (“Floki”), Alexander Ludwig (“Bjorn”), Alex Høgh Andersen (“Ivar the Boneless”), Jordan Smith (“Ubbe”) and Marco Ilso (“Hvitserk”).

Winnick’s role as Lagertha has garnered her a “Best Supporting Actress” nomination at the 2015 Critic’s Choice Television Awards and a “Best Performance by a Lead Dramatic Actress" nomination at the 2014 Canadian Screen Awards. Winnick most recently appeared in the adaptation of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower opposite Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey. Next up she will star opposite John Travolta in the upcoming film Cigarette. Her other credits include Love & Other Drugs and 50 First Dates. Winnick is repped by CAA, Alchemy Entertainment, and attorney Jeff Bernstein of Jackoway, Tyerman, Wertheimer, Austen, Mandelbaum, Morris, & Klein.

Hirst serves as executive producer along with Morgan O’Sullivan of World 2000 (The Count of Monte Cristo; “The Tudors”), Sheila Hockin (“The Tudors,” “The Borgias”), John Weber of Take 5 Productions (“The Tudors,” “The Borgias”), Sherry Marsh, Alan Gasmer, and James Flynn (“The Tudors,” “The Borgias”). Arturo Interian serves as the executive in charge of production for HISTORY.

“Vikings” is an iternational Irish/Canadian co-production by World 2000 and Take 5 Productions. MGM Television serves as the worldwide distributor outside of Ireland and Canada. “Vikings” is produced in association with Corus Entertainment.

About HISTORY®

HISTORY®, now reaching more than 96 million homes, is the leading destination for award-winning series and specials that connect viewers with history in an informative, immersive and entertaining manner across all platforms. The network’s all-original programming slate features a roster of signature series including Pawn Stars, American Pickers, The Curse of Oak Island, Alone as well as the hit drama series Vikingsand SIX.  The HISTORY website is located at history.com. Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/history and Facebook at facebook.com/history.

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Check out a new Clip from STONEWALL:

STONEWALL will open in theaters in September 25, 2015.

Presented by Roadside Attractions

Directed by Roland Emmerich

Starring: Jeremy Irvine, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Jonny Beauchamp, Otoja Abit, Vladimir Alexis, and Ron Perlman.

STONEWALL is a drama about a fictional young man caught up during the 1969 Stonewall riots. Danny Winters (Jeremy Irvine) is forced to leave behind friends and loved ones when he is kicked out of his parent's home and flees to New York. Alone in Greenwich Village, homeless and destitute, he befriends Ray (Jonny Beauchamp) and a group of street kids who soon introduce him to the local watering hole The Stonewall Inn; however, this shady, mafia-run club is far from a safe-haven. As Danny and his friends experience discrimination, endure atrocities and are repeatedly harassed by the police, we see a rage begin to build. This emotion runs through  the entire community of young gays, lesbians, drag queens and trans people who populate the Stonewall Inn and erupts in a storm of anger. With the toss of a single brick, a riot ensues and a crusade for equality is born.

For more info:

http://www.roadsideattractions.com/

Twitter: @roadsidetweets

Official Socials:

http://www.facebook.com/stonewallmovie

http://www.twitter.com/stonewall_movie (@stonewall_movie)

http://www.instagram.com/stonewallmovie (@stonewallmovie)

#Stonewall

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Fantasy and horror continue their TV take overs this year. First we got the captivating Sleepy Hollow, followed by Once Upon A Time in Wonderland, and Reign. Admittedly these have all been added to my overly full DVR. Today marks the latest entry in Dracula, but does it have enough bite to make it into the weekly lineup?

The pilot opens with Dracula’s return from a shriveled up decrepit state. Two men find a tomb, they've been searching for a long time for it. Its full of gold, and trinkets, but that's not the prize. One of the men kills the other, spilling his blood over the coffin and feeding the beast below, who regenerates into the lovely but hungry Dracula. He is reborn.

Flash forward to London, 1896, Suave. Dracula readies for a demonstration, and a new identity. He masquerades as an american, Alexander Greyson, with a fairly hideous accent. The British one suits his mouth so much better.

Grayson's party is overly posh and lavish, and looks very much like the masquerade out of Van Helsing. Grayson instantly falls in love with Mina, and he sends Renfield to dig up the goods on her while he plays the good host. Then in a scene straight out of The Prestige, Grayson illuminates dozens of wireless light bulbs using energy harnessed from the magnetosphere, but only long enough for everyone to stare in awe before his steampunk factory has a meltdown, one that could have been avoided   if the board members of the British Imperial Company would be willing to sell an "american" their coolant patents. But instead worried over their futures and see Grayson as a threat.

And he is a threat, but not just in the way that they think. The British Imperial Company is a front for the centuries-old Order of the Dragon, an evil Illuminati that Grayson plans to take down at all costs. Long ago they burned his Mina doppelgänger. But they didn't just stop there,  The Order of the Dragon also slaughtered Van Helsing's family, so the two men are in a rocky partnership, which may not be what it seems, though he was the man who freed Dracula from his fancy iron box.

Another double player is Lady Jane, who seems to be not only pursuing Dracula, but also hunting him, and other vampires. At one point she's sexing Grayson in her opera box and later tries to get information from a captive vampire, who refuses to give up her sire.

The main problem with Dracula is that it isn't what you would expect. Sure there's bloodshed, but Rhys Meyers brings such an eroticism to it that there is nothing fear worthy. The darkness of Dracula is utterly absent.

It has the beauty one expects a Dracula piece to exude, but lacks the panache. Establishing such a well known character, in fact many well known characters, takes entirely too long. There are very few changes made from their classical literature predecessors and while Rhys Meyers is lovely and a great actor, that perfect compulsive and obsessive nuance that Gary Oldman captured so perfectly in regard to Mina in the film of the same name is lacking here. There's no intensity, no intricate paring on fear and desire on a razor's edge. So far the chemistry between Rhys Meyers and De Gouw is non-existent. It's not that white hot fury he displayed with Natalie Dormer on the Tudors. It's definitely intriguing enough for another view, but so far I'm not completely sold on the series, though it certainly doesn't lack potential.

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NBC ANNOUNCES EXCITING PANEL LINEUP AT COMIC-CON, INCLUDING ‘THE BLACKLIST,’ ‘HANNIBAL,’ ‘COMMUNITY,’ ‘REVOLUTION’ AND ‘GRIMM’

NBC has announced plans for the upcoming Comic-Con International gathering in San Diego running from July 18-21.

“The Blacklist,” “Hannibal,” “Grimm,” “Revolution” and “Community” will headline at Comic-Con, along with NBC talent from “Saturday Night Live,” “Late Night with Seth Meyers” and “Ironside” also participating on various panels.

Featured during the “Grimm” panel will be a special trailer of the new Friday night series “Dracula,” starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers.

Panel schedules:

“The Blacklist” (Sony Pictures Television)

Day: Thursday, July 18

Who: James Spader, Megan Boone, Diego Klattenhoff and executive producers Jon Bokenkamp, John Eisendrath and John Fox

For decades, ex-government agent Raymond “Red” Reddington (James Spader) has been one of the FBI’s Most Wanted fugitives. Now, he’s mysteriously surrendered to the FBI with an explosive offer: He will help catch a long-thought-dead terrorist under the condition that he speaks only to Elizabeth “Liz” Keen (Megan Boone), an FBI profiler fresh out of Quantico. Liz soon discovers that Red has compiled a secret list of criminals over the years: a “blacklist” of politicians, mobsters, spies, and international terrorists. He will help catch them all … with the caveat that Liz continues to work as his partner.

“Hannibal” (Gaumont International Television)

Day: Thursday, July 18

Who: Hugh Dancy, executive producer Bryan Fuller, executive producer/director David Slade and executive producer Martha De Laurentiis

“Hannibal,” which is based on the characters created by author Thomas Harris in his novel “Red Dragon,” was one of the best-reviewed series of the past season and was recently renewed for season two. Hugh Dancy plays criminal profiler Will Graham while Mads Mikkelsen plays psychiatrist Dr. Hannibal Lecter.

“Grimm” (Universal Television)

Day: Saturday, July 20

Who: David Giuntoli, Silas Weir Mitchell, Russell Hornsby, Reggie Lee, Sasha Roiz, Bitsie Tulloch, Bree Turner, Claire Coffee, and executive producers Todd Milliner, David Greenwalt, Jim Kouf and Norberto Barba

“Grimm,” a drama series inspired by the classic Grimm Brother’s Fairy Tales, follows Portland homicide detective Nick Burkhardt (Giuntoli) as he tries to find the balance between normal life and his birthright as a Grimm, an elite line of criminal profilers who have the ability to see the monsters that lurk below a seemingly human surface.

“Revolution” (Warner Bros. Television)

Day: Saturday, July 20

Who: Executive producer Eric Kripke and others to be determined

In its first season, “Revolution” examined why the Earth’s power was turned off and asked how the world’s citizens are expected to survive. In the season finale, the power is turned back on, but at what cost and consequence? The second season begins in the fall.

“Community” (Sony Pictures Television)

Day: Sunday, July 21

Who: Gillian Jacobs, Danny Pudi, Yvette Nicole Brown, Alison Brie, Jim Rash, Ken Jeong and executive producers Dan Harmon and Chris McKenna

“Community” is back at Comic-Con and ready to celebrate with the show’s devoted fandom. Come be a part of the study group for a panel and Q&A moderated by Chris Hardwick (“The Nerdist”) and find out firsthand what surprises are in store for the series when it returns to NBC for its fifth season.

“Ironside” star Blair Underwood will appear on the TV Guide Fan Faves panel on Friday, July 19.

“Saturday Night Live” veteran Seth Meyers and “Late Night with Seth Meyers” producer Michael Shoemaker will appear at the Hulu panel on Sunday, July 21.

Additional panelists are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

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The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones won't hit theaters until August 23 but, today, leading lady Lily Collins has posted a video that encourages fans to attend Anaheim's WonderCon, running March 29-31. As you can see in the player below, Collins reveals that the event will host a special film panel and will also reveal a new poster and trailer.

Also starring Jamie Campbell Bower, Robert Sheehan, Kevin Zegers, Lena Headey, Kevin Durand, Aidan Turner, Jemima West, Godfrey Gao, CCH Pounder, Jared Harris and Jonathan Rhys Meyers, the film is directed by Harald Zwart and based on the first book in Cassandra Clare's book series.

In the film, set in contemporary New York City, a seemingly ordinary teenager, Clary Fray (Collins), discovers she is the descendant of a line of Shadowhunters, a secret cadre of young half-angel warriors locked in an ancient battle to protect our world from demons. After the disappearance of her mother (Headey), Clary must join forces with a group of Shadowhunters, who introduce her to a dangerous alternate New York called Downworld, filled with demons, warlocks, vampires, werewolves and other deadly creatures.

Source: Comingsoon.net

Cassandra Clare shared this info:

Hey guys it’s Lily. I’m so excited to tell you that we’re going to be in Anaheim California for this year’s Wondercon where you will get an exclusive sneak peek of The Mortal Instruments and you’ll get to see our new trailer and poster. I hope to see you there.

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