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The best Cynthia Erivo movies and TV shows feature a strong mix of releases that take advantage of her singing and acting talents. Erivo got her start as a singer and she worked in theater before she ever took on roles in movies and TV shows. It was her early role as Celie Harris in The Color Purple that earned her first major attention, and it even led to her Broadway debut when she took the role to the revival in 2015.

This led to her film debut in 2016 when she signed on for the neo-noir thriller Bad Times at the El Royale as part of that film’s ensemble cast. This led to even bigger things, such as the Steve McQueen-directed film Widows, and then enjoyed her breakout in the historical drama Harriet, where she played abolitionist Harriet Tubman. However, she enjoyed her biggest breakthrough when she signed on...

The trailer for Cynthia Erivo‘s new movie has been released.

The 36-year-old Tony, Emmy, and Grammy winner stars alongside Alia Shawkwat in the movie Drift directed by Anthony Chen. Along with starring in the movie, Cynthia also serves as a producer.

Based on the book A Marker To Measure Drift by Alexander Maksik, Drift follows Jacqueline (Erivo), a young refugee, who lands alone and penniless on a Greek island, where she tries first to survive and then to cope with her past. While gathering her strength, she begins a friendship with a rootless tour-guide (Shawkat) and together they find the resilience to forge ahead.

Keep reading to find out more…

The movie also stars Ibrahima Ba, Honor Swinton Byrne, Zainab Jah, Suzy Bemba, and Vincent Vermignon.

If you missed it, Cynthia also recently spilled some new details on filming the Wicked movies with Ariana Grande.

Drift hits select theaters...

"Where are their parents?" "They fled." Utopia has revealed the trailer for an indie drama titled Drift, the third feature film from acclaimed Singaporean filmmaker Anthony Chen, following his features Ilo Ilo and Wet Season previously. This premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival earlier this year to some mixed and positive reviews. Jacqueline, a young refugee from Africa, lands alone and penniless on a Greek island, where she tries first to survive and then to cope with her past. While gathering her strength, she begins a friendship with a rootless tour-guide also working on the isalnd and together they find the resilience to forge ahead. "Jacqueline must face the ghosts that haunt her—or tip into full-blown madness." The very talented Cynthia Erivo stars as Jacqueline, with Alia Shawkat, Ibrahima Ba, Honor Swinton Byrne, Zainab Jah, and Vincent Vermignon. This trailer also features the song "It Would Be" written & sung by Cynthia Erivo & Laura Mvula.

Accomplishing the rare feature of premiering two features this year, Anthony Chen’s Cynthia Erivo-led and -produced refugee drama Drift premiered at Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, then a few months later he debuted The Breaking Ice at Cannes Film Festival. The former was picked up by Utopia and now ahead of a February 9 release, the first trailer and poster have arrived.

Here’s the synopsis: “Jacqueline (Two-Time Academy Award nominee Cynthia Erivo), a young refugee, lands alone and penniless on a Greek island, where she tries first to survive and then to cope with her past. While gathering her strength, she begins a friendship with a rootless tour-guide (Alia Shawkat) and together they find the resilience to forge ahead.”

Michael Frank said in his Sundance review, “Coming from a script by Susanne Farrell and Alexander Maksik, Drift rarely individualizes its main character, quietly watching her as she struggles to survive.

Grammy, Emmy, and Tony award-winning triple threat talent Cynthia Erivo emotionally unzips herself for moving film “Drift,” the first project she has produced to be released.

The Oscar-nominated actress leads the independent film, which debuted at Sundance earlier this year. Based on Alexander Maksik’s 2013 novel “A Marker to Measure Drift,” the film follows a refugee who crosses paths with a lonesome tour guide in Greece.

The official synopsis reads: “Jacqueline (Erivo), a young refugee, lands alone and penniless on a Greek island, where she tries first to survive and then to cope with her past. While gathering her strength, she begins a friendship with rootless tour-guide Callie (Alia Shawkat) and together they find the resilience to forge ahead.”

Ibrahima Ba, Honor Swinton Byrne, Zainab Jah, Suzy Bemba, and Vincent Vermignon also star.

“Drift” is the English-language debut of Camera d’Or-winning director Anthony Chen (“Ilo Ilo”), who won the...

We know the traumatized need the sense of safety to properly heal. But does art about trauma benefit from feeling safe?

That’s the nagging question that comes close to undermining the effect of “Drift,” the title referring to the unmoored state of mind in a homeless survivor of war-ravaged Liberia wandering the coastal edges of a blithely touristy Greece. Her portrayer Cynthia Erivo, however, is only ever a magnetic anchor in “Ilo Ilo” filmmaker Anthony Chen’s quietly compassionate if ultimately predictable drama.

Adapted from the 2013 novel “A Marker to Measure Drift” by Alexander Maksik (also a credited co-screenwriter with Susanne Farrell), the film follows refugee Jacqueline (Erivo), who in the beginning we see cadging food (or just sugar packets) from vacated tables at restaurants, staring at the rippling sea for long stretches and sleeping in a cave on a makeshift mattress made from plastic bags of sand. As...

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I initially saw Jean-Xavier de Lestrade’s documentary series The Staircase on the Sundance Channel in 2005. It was the first time I had viewed a longform documentary structured episodically — each episode built over three acts with a cliffhanger compelling you to watch the next installment as soon as you could. Clearly I wasn’t the only one who was fascinated by the documentary, as it went on to become a defining work in the true-crime genre. And that could have been where the story ended.

But many years later, the talented writer-director Antonio Campos (an artist I already admired and a friend) approached me with a pilot he had written, inspired by the original French docuseries. It wasn’t an adaptation, but rather an opportunity to revisit the story in a new context — an opportunity to explore and investigate the evolution of true crime as a genre.

Disputes over Antonio Campos’ HBO Max adaptation of “The Staircase” have some in the documentary community questioning whether they would readily allow a narrative director to turn their facts into fiction.

“The Staircase” revolves around the death of Kathleen Peterson and the murder trial of her husband Michael, as the filmmakers chronicling the case for a docuseries of the same name become central characters in the storytelling. Kathleen Peterson was found dead at the bottom of the staircase of their North Carolina home in 2001, and Michael was convicted of murder in 2003 before accepting an Alford plea for manslaughter charges in 2017, which freed him for good. The HBO Max series, which concluded this week, stars Colin Firth as Michael and Toni Collette as Kathleen; documentary filmmaker Jean-Xavier de Lestrade is portrayed by Vincent Vermignon and editor Sophie Brunet by Juliette Binoche.

Shortly after the May 5 premiere of the HBO Max miniseries,...

This story first appeared in the Emmy Race Begins issue of TheWrap magazine.

The critical response to HBO Max’s limited series “The Staircase” has been overwhelmingly positive. But Jean-Xavier de Lestrade, the French filmmaker who directed the Peabody award-winning docu-series of the same name on which the new drama is based, is not participating in the applause.

In a recent interview, de Lestrade told Vanity Fair that he felt “betrayed” by the HBO Max adaptation because he believes it questions his integrity and professionalism. The eight-episode drama tells the story of Michael Peterson (Colin Firth), the crime writer who was convicted in 2003 of killing his wife Kathleen (Toni Collette), whom he claims fell to her death on the stairs in their Durham, North Carolina home. (He was retried in 2011 and eventually took an Alford plea.) In addition to chronicling the trial and aftermath, “The Staircase” also features de Lestrade...

The true-crime tale has lately dominated scripted TV, with miniseries-length dissections of infamous incidents coming thick on the ground. Many of these shows have played as flat reenactments that don’t earn the running time they demand, serials that seem to be more interested in checking items off a list to get us to an opinion about “what really happened” than in finding something transformative in a familiar story. So it comes as a surprise that HBO Max’s “The Staircase” does exactly what its title implies, taking the audience beyond the first level and reaching for a second, elevated story.

This show dramatizes the events covered in the French documentary series of the same title — made in 2004 by director Jean-Xavier de Lestrade and available on Netflix. Both projects are about the death of Durham, N.C., woman Kathleen Peterson, possibly at the hands of her husband, Michael. Here, the...

True crime has become a defining genre on television these days, moving away from the world of documentary and into prestigious narrative filmmaking. In the wake of successful true crime docs like “The Jinx,” HBO is presenting a big, splashy, star-studded look at a case that has captivated audiences for over a decade. The latest is the A-list HBO Max recreation of the Michael Peterson case that French filmmaker Jean-Xavier de Lestrade documented in his 2004 miniseries “The Staircase.”

Despite its critical success, “The Staircase” didn’t quite reach the levels of national zeitgeist that “The Jinx”, “Making a Murderer” or “Serial” have in years since. But its fingerprints are all over those shows, not just in terms of access to the accused, but also in the attention to forensic detail, novelistic approach to storytelling, and a central suspect whose guilt or innocence continues to divide viewers. Now, it’s considered...

In the scripted version of “The Staircase,” Kathleen Peterson (Toni Collette) slips on a step, falls down, and dies. The blood pouring from the top of her head is soon spread over the walls as she struggles to sit up, creating a convincing scene to the one soon discovered, photographed, and endlessly analyzed by the police. Like her distraught husband Michael (Colin Firth) claims from the start, Kathleen’s death was an accident.

And yet, Kathleen Peterson is murdered. A heated argument turns physical. The hallway again transforms into its inevitable, nightmarish state. Michael is both angry and apologetic, but he’s unquestionably at fault. Like the district attorney and his team claim from the start, Kathleen’s death was a homicide.

With only five of the limited series’ eight episodes screened for critics, there very well may be a third or fourth reenactment of a murder that’s been debated for nearly two decades.

True crime folds back in on itself with “The Staircase,” perhaps the only recent, high-profile miniseries to feature a scene where documentarians sit outside a recording booth as musicians work on the mournful score for a true-crime miniseries. Yet “The Staircase,” an eight-episode HBO Max miniseries, isn’t exactly a meta exercise, either. It’s full of tricky, complicated ambiguities that are often riveting and sometimes just baffling. (It’s all the more slippery only having seen the first five episodes provided for review.)

The documentarians making sure the background music strikes those familiar notes of gravitas are a pair of French filmmakers who have taken an interest in the real-life crime drama of Michael Peterson (Colin Firth), an American on trial for the 2001 murder of his wife Kathleen (Toni Collette). Michael claims that he came across his wife’s bloodied body at the foot of a staircase, indicating that...

Sky has revealed a full trailer for ‘The Staircase,’ starring Colin Firth as Michael Peterson and Toni Collette as Kathleen Peterson.

Based on a true story, the eight-episode limited series further explores the life of Michael Peterson, his sprawling North Carolina family, and the suspicious death of his wife, Kathleen Peterson.

Starring alongside Firth and Collette are Michael Stuhlbarg (Your Honor), Juliette Binoche (Chocolat), Dane DeHaan (ZeroZeroZero), Olivia DeJonge (Elvis), Rosemarie DeWitt (Little Fires Everywhere), Tim Guinee (Inventing Anna), Patrick Schwarzenegger (Moxie), Sophie Turner (Game of Thrones), Vincent Vermignon (Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion), Odessa Young (Shirley) and Parker Posey (Lost in Space).

Also in trailers – Thor isn’t the only one worthy in teaser trailer for ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’

The series will premiere on 5 May exclusively on Sky and streaming service Now.

The post Colin Firth & Toni Collette star in full trailer for ‘The Staircase’ appeared first on HeyUGuys.

The highly-anticipated Jeff Bridges-led drama “The Old Man” will premiere on FX June 16, the network announced Thursday.

Based on the novel of the same name by Thomas Perry, Bridges stars as Dan Chase, a former CIA agent living off the grid for decades. When a mysterious assassin begins targeting him, he’s forced to exit hiding and finds himself chased by Harold Harper (John Lithgow), a former friend of his from the past. Alia Shawkat, E.J. Bonilla and Gbenga Akinnagbe co-star in the series as CIA operatives helping hunt down Dan, while Amy Brenneman plays Zoe, an ordinary woman who is dragged into the case when Dan rents a room from her. Bill Heck, Leem Lubany and Pej Vahdat are also slated to star in the series.

Bridges executive produces “The Old Man” with creators Jonathan E. Steinberg and Robert Levine, Warren Littlefield, Dan Shotz, David Schiff and Jon Watts.

The full trailer for HBO Max‘s highly-anticipated original, The Staircase, has arrived as the streamer gears up for the limited series premiere date on Thursday, May 5. The Staircase will officially kick off with three full episodes and one new episode dropping each Thursday through June 9. The new show is based on the true story explored in the documentary of the same name. The Staircase follows Michael Peterson (Colin Firth) and his large North Carolina family, and the suspicious death of his wife, Kathleen Peterson (Toni Collette). Viewers get a taste of this in the trailer, below, which features a strong ensemble of talent. (Credit: HBO Max) Along with Firth and Collette, the series features stars Michael Stuhlbarg, Juliette Binoche, Dane DeHaan, Olivia DeJonge, Rosemarie DeWitt, Tim Guinee, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Sophie Turner, Vincent Vermignon, Odessa Young, and Parker Posey. Created for HBO Max by Antonio Campos (The Devil All the Time...

Indie filmmaker Antonio Campos, the director behind chilly thrillers “Simon Killer” and “Christine,” returns to the small screen with “The Staircase” on HBO Max The eight-episode narrative limited series is an adaptation of Jean-Xavier de Lestrade’s true-crime docuseries of the same name that spanned from 2004 to 2018. The crime series starring Colin Firth and Toni Collette arrives on HBO Max May 5 with three episodes, followed by one episode each week. Overall, the HBO Max Original is eight episodes. Watch the trailer below.

“The Staircase” explores the life of Michael Peterson (Firth), his sprawling North Carolina family, and the suspicious death of his wife, Kathleen Peterson (Collette), who was found dead at the bottom of the staircase in their mansion. Her husband, Marine Corps veteran Michael, was a novelist, newspaper columnist, and mayoral candidate when he was convicted of Kathleen’s murder in 2003.

Starring alongside Firth and Collette is an embarrassment of rich talents: Michael Stuhlbarg,...

18 years after the release of Jean-Xavier de Lestrade's docuseries "The Staircase," the story of Kathleen Peterson's death is being turned into a scripted series on HBO Max. In March 2021, Variety reported that HBO Max was adapting the case for an eight-part limited drama, also titled "The Staircase." Emmy-winning actor Toni Collette is portraying Kathleen, and Oscar-winning actor Colin Firth is taking on the role of Michael Peterson, Kathleen's husband who was convicted of her murder in 2003.

The show's cast also includes Sophie Turner, Michael Stuhlbarg, Juliette Binoche, Dane DeHaan, Olivia DeJonge, Rosemarie DeWitt, Tim Guinee, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Vincent Vermignon, Odessa Young, and Parker Posey. Antonio Campos's "The Staircase" will explore the life of the Peterson family in North Carolina, the circumstances surrounding Kathleen's suspicious death, and Michael's involvement.

While it's unclear how much of the infamous case the HBO Max series will cover, its teaser trailer, which...

Sky has revealed the First Look teaser trailer for ‘The Staircase,’ starring Colin Firth as Michael Peterson and Toni Collette as Kathleen Peterson.

Based on a true story, the eight-episode limited series further explores the life of Michael Peterson, his sprawling North Carolina family, and the suspicious death of his wife, Kathleen Peterson.

Starring alongside Firth and Collette are Michael Stuhlbarg(Your Honor), Juliette Binoche (Chocolat), Dane DeHaan (ZeroZeroZero), Olivia DeJonge (Elvis), Rosemarie DeWitt (Little Fires Everywhere), Tim Guinee (Inventing Anna), Patrick Schwarzenegger (Moxie), Sophie Turner (Game of Thrones), Vincent Vermignon (Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion), Odessa Young (Shirley) and Parker Posey (Lost in Space).

Also in trailers – Apple unveils trailer for star-studded anthology series ‘Roar’

The series will premiere on 5 May exclusively on Sky and streaming service Now.

The post Colin Firth & Toni Collette star in teaser for ‘The Staircase’ appeared first on HeyUGuys.

The Staircase was one of the biggest documentary series when it launched, so a dramatization was inevitable.

HBO Max on Tuesday dropped a first look at the eight-episode limited series that stars Colin Firth and Toni Collette.

Based on a true story, the series explores the life of Michael Peterson (Firth), his sprawling North Carolina family, and the suspicious death of his wife, Kathleen Peterson (Collette).

The dramatization takes viewers back to 200.

Several headlines about the couple's relationship came to light during the court case, but interest in the case was piqued again with a Netflix documentary series released in 2018.

“It’s my life on the line, and I want to tell my story,” Firth says during the teaser.

“And I promise you, when we are on the other side of this, things will be better. To la familia, and to the ones we miss.”

Starring alongside Colin Firth and Toni Collette are Michael Stuhlbarg,...

“The Staircase,” a new true-crime drama miniseries starring Colin Firth and Toni Collette, will premiere on May 5, HBO Max has announced.

The series is based on the true story of Kathleen Peterson, who in 2001 was reported dead by her husband Michael after having fallen down the stairs of their home. Michael was soon charged with her murder, leading to a court case that drew headlines and revealed secrets about the couple’s relationship. The story received renewed interest in 2018, when Netflix released the documentary miniseries “The Staircase,” which covered the case from 2001 to 2017.

In HBO Max’s series, Firth portrays Michael, while Collette plays Kathleen. In a teaser HBO Max released alongside the date announcement, Firth narrates a speech intercut with scenes showing both the happy times in the family and the media circus they become embroiled in following Kathleen’s death.

“It’s my life on the line and...

The popular documentary series “The Staircase” is now an HBO Max limited series, with Colin Firth filling the role of convicted murderer Michael Peterson.

HBO Max released the first trailer for the new series on Tuesday, which finds Firth playing a man who was accused of murdering his wife (played by Toni Collette). The case was well covered in the early 2000s, but gained more prominence with the arrival of a documentary series that premiered in 2004 and documented Peterson’s trial. New episodes with further updates were later made for Netflix in 2018.

Created by Antonio Campos (“The Devil All the Time”), the HBO Max limited series take on the case offers a dramatization of the events courtesy of a pair of Oscar-caliber performers in Firth and Collette. The show will delve into all aspects of the case including, yes, the owl theory. “We took it as seriously as any other theory,...

Family is all we have in this world, as real-life convicted murderer Michael Peterson (Colin Firth) warns in a new limited series.

The first trailer for HBO Max’s “The Staircase,” which premieres Thursday, May 5, revealed the lengths to which Michael went to avoid investigation for the murder of his wife, Kathleen Peterson (Toni Collette).

Based on Jean-Xavier de Lestrade’s true crime docuseries of the same name that spanned from 2004 to 2018, limited series “The Staircase” is created by Antonio Campos and follows the events of December 9, 2001 in the Petersons’ Durham, North Carolina home. Kathleen was found dead at the bottom of the staircase in their mansion. Her husband, Marine Corps veteran Michael, was a novelist, newspaper columnist, and mayoral candidate when he was convicted of Kathleen’s murder in 2003.

Prosecutors argued Michael bludgeoned his wife to death; he claimed she fell after consuming alcohol and Valium. However, an autopsy...

Can Mr. Darcy be a murderer?

“The Staircase,” based on Jean-Xavier de Lestrade’s docuseries of the same name that spanned from 2004 to 2018, stars Colin Firth as Michael Peterson, who was investigated for the murder of his wife, Kathleen Peterson (Toni Collette).

Warner Bros. ordered an eight-episode treatment of the case, now an HBO Max Original limited series debuting in Spring 2022. The limited series is written and executive-produced by showrunners Antonio Campos and Maggie Cohn. Campos also directs six of the eight episodes.

Per the official logline, “The Staircase” explores the life of Michael Peterson, his sprawling North Carolina family, and the suspicious death of his wife.

Kathleen was found in the Peterson’s Durham, North Carolina, mansion at the bottom of the staircase on December 9, 2001. Marine Corps. veteran Michael was a novelist, newspaper columnist, and mayoral candidate when he was convicted of Kathleen’s murder in 2003. Prosecutors argued Michael...

“Barry,” HBO’s six-time Emmy-winning dark comedy starring “Saturday Night Live” alum Bill Hader, will return for an eight-part third season this Sunday, April 24th, the premium cabler announced today during its Television Critics Association press tour day.

Co-creators Hader (Pixar’s “Inside Out”) and Alec Berg (HBO’s “Silicon Valley”) executive produce, direct and write “Barry.” Its six Emmy wins include for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (Hader), Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series (Henry Winkler), Outstanding Sound Editing for a Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour) and Animation and Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour) and Animation. In total, “Barry” has received thirty Emmy nods.

Per the logline, “Barry” follows its titular protagonist (played by Hader) as he attempts to untangle himself from the world of assassination and fully immerse himself in his newfound passion for acting, but his attempts to stay...

HBO Max’s upcoming murder-mystery series “The Staircase” will indeed examine the so-called “Owl Theory” as a potential explanation for the death of Kathleen Peterson, co-showrunner, writer and director Antonio Campos said Tuesday.

“We will address the Owl Theory,” Campos said in a Television Critics Association call with media.

“We took it as seriously as any other theory,” he added. “So you’ll get a deep dive.”

The Owl Theory episode will be “down the road,” Campos said.

Colin Firth stars on the show as Michael Peterson, a North Carolina novelist who was convicted in 2003 of murdering his wife Kathleen. Michael Peterson spent eight years in prison. Toni Collette plays Peterson’s wife, Kathleen, on the HBO Max series.

Essentially, the Owl Theory speculates that a barred owl could have attacked Kathleen outside of sprawling Peterson home, causing multiple, deep lacerations to the back and top of her head.

It...

Move over, Mr. Darcy — Colin Firth is now Michael Peterson. HBO Max released a pair of first-look images Tuesday for its upcoming drama series, “The Staircase,” a scripted adaptation of the Jean-Xavier de Lestrade true-crime documentary series of the same name.

Firth stars on the show as Michael Peterson, a North Carolina novelist who was convicted in 2003 of murdering his wife Kathleen. Michael Peterson spent eight years in prison. Toni Collette plays Peterson’s wife, Kathleen, on the HBO Max series.

The scripted show also stars Michael Stuhlbarg as Michael Peterson’s defense attorney David Rudolph; Patrick Schwarzenegger as Michael’s son Todd Peterson; Dane DeHaan as Michael’s other son Clayton Peterson; Olivia DeJonge as Caitlin Atwater, Kathleen’s biological daughter; Sophie Turner as Margaret Ratliff, one of Michael Peterson’s adopted daughters; Odessa Young as Martha Ratliff, Michael’s other adopted daughter; Rosemarie DeWitt as Kathleen’s sister...

Vincent Vermignon has joined the cast of The Staircase, HBO Max’s limited series drama adaptation based on Jean-Xavier de Lestrade’s true-crime docuseries. Vermignon will play de Lestrade, joining previously announced cast members Colin Firth, Toni Collette, Rosemarie DeWitt, Juliette Binoche, Parker Posey, Odessa Young, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Dane DeHaan, Olivia DeJonge, Sophie Turner, Michael Stuhlbarg and Tim Guinee.

The series is based on the docuseries and various books and reports on the case of Michael Peterson, who was convicted in 2003 of murdering Kathleen two years earlier. The charge was reduced to manslaughter in 2017, and Peterson subsequently was released from prison. He had claimed his wife died after falling down the stairs at their home after consuming alcohol and Valium, but an autopsy concluded she died from multiple injuries, including blows to the back of her head with a blunt object.

De Lestrade’s docuseries premiered in 2004 and was released...

The Hallmark Channel announced that the series finale of “Good Witch” will premiere on July 25 at 9 p.m.

In the final episode, titled “The Wedding,” the Merriwick cousins get ready to face the mysterious force putting their family legacy at risk while changes are in store for others.

“‘Good Witch’ has enchanted viewers for over a decade with eight original movies, in addition to the seven-season series,” said Randy Pope, SVP, programming & development. “We thank our leads whose chemistry and talent made ‘Good Witch’ such a beloved and uniquely special viewing experience: Catherine Bell, who has brought the inimitable Cassie Nightingale to life for 13 years, and James Denton, who as Dr. Sam Radford has added so much charm and humor to the series. We also extend our gratitude and thanks to the entire cast and crew for their dedication and hard work.”

The series stars Catherine Bell, James Denton, Sarah Power,...