John Wells News

A PRINCESS STORY, written by Burt Reynolds' master class student Veronica Viruet Simpson, took home two top prizes at the Georgia Latino International Film Festival. Simpson, who penned the story as a loving tribute to her late father, Abigail Viruet, and Vietnam veteran John Curtis Wells, won both Best Actress and Best Director awards.

Ewan talks about his beard, dressing up for Halloween, trick-or-treating in Scotland, his favorite candy, keeping his return as Obi-Wan Kenobi a secret, reading William Shatner's book on the set of Star Wars with Jar-Jar Binks actor Ahmed Best, his new sequel to The Shining, Doctor Sleep, and his terrifying experience seeing Halloween as a 12-year-old in Holland.

SAG-AFTRA Foundation and BroadwayWorld have partnered for a filmed Q&A series to recognize and celebrate the vibrant theatre community in New York City. Join us on Friday, October 18 (1PM) at the Robin Williams Center (247 West 54th Street) for a career reflection with Tracy Letts. Moderated by BroadwayWorld's Richard Ridge of 'Backstage with Richard Ridge!'

SHOWTIME has released a new trailer for the upcoming tenth season of SHAMELESS, premiering on Sunday, November 10 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Starring Oscar® nominee and Emmy® and SAG Award® winner William H. Macy, SHAMELESS is the network's No. 1 comedy series.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, HBO Max is interested in an upcoming drama series that will see Academy Award-winner Joan Cusack starring as famous TV chef Julia Child.

According to Variety, HBO Max has given a pilot order to three brand new series: 'Generation,' 'Red Bird Lane,' and 'Rules of Magic.' The latter is based on Alice Hoffman's novel--it is a prequel to 'Practical Magic,' which was adapted for film in the late nineties. 

Today, BET Networks announced the production of a new original movie 'SACRIFICE' starring Paula Patton ('Hitch,' 'Precious'). 'SACRIFICE' takes place in Los Angeles following Daniella Hernandez, played by Patton, a highly sought after entertainment lawyer. The legal thriller tracks Daniella as she navigates the nefarious lives of her rich and famous clients. Daniella has a reputation that proves problematic to LA Law enforcement, forcing her to be at odds with her sorority sister turned nemesis District Attorney Beverly Rucker. In an attempt to protect her often unscrupulous clients, Daniella enlists the services of her resourceful assistant and a young ex-hacker and tech genius. 'SACRIFICE' is executive produced, written, and directed by Chris Stokes. Marques Houston also serves as the film's co-executive producer for Footage Films. Principal photography for 'SACRIFICE' took place in New Orleans. 'SACRIFICE' will premiere on BET's new streaming service BET+ in 2020.

TNT, a division of WarnerMedia Entertainment, has renewed its powerhouse drama Animal Kingdom for a fifth season. The popular series continues to grow its fanbase, reaching nearly 18 million viewers this season so far across all platforms, defying industry trends where the typical returning series is down double digits. Season four of Animal Kingdom premiered on par with the season three average and the series is one of this year's top 10 cable dramas (P18-49, L+7).    

Interview with Artistic Director John Wells III to chat about the company and their play STRAIGHT. Directed by Kate Rose Reynolds and Andrea Agosto, playing July 25th - August 4th at the Tenth Avenue Arts Center

Cadia: The World Within is the story of Matthew, David, and Renee Addams, three fourteen- year-olds whose journey into a mystical realm teaches them about grace, love, doubt, and the nature of good versus evil. Cadia is a film that provides hope and encourages philosophical discussion on how we interact with the world around us. Cadia is an adventure that will get people to believe in each other and in the world again. A screening of the movie was held on July 12th, 2019 at Capital University, Columbus, Ohio. Cast info: The Cadia: The World Within cast includes two-time Emmy and Golden Globe nominee Corbin Bernsen and Harry Potter's James Phelps, along with other notable actors like Rick Montgomery Jr, John Wells, Nicky Buggs, and Grace Kelly. The film stars Columbus triplets Keegan, Carly, and Tanner Sells, alongside Dayton actor Dillon Perry. Dozens of other central Ohio and midwestern talents appear in the film. More information on the cast and crew can be found at www.cadiafilm.com or on IMDb. For more information about Cadia: The World Within or upcoming showtimes, visit: https:www.cadiafilm.com

The Vagrancy, a critically acclaimed and award-winning theatre company, proudly welcomes Jessie Lee Mills to serve as the new Associate Artistic Director.

The Drama League has announced an inaugural event: First Stage Festival, where new works take their first steps, featuring 10 resident directors who will have 10 hours to focus and manifest a particular moment or element of 10 new works, giving a glimpse into the future of the American Theater.

HBO announced the eight writers selected, out of over 3,000 submissions, to participate in the 2019 HBOAccess Writing Fellowship. The prestigious 8 month program offers master classes and ongoing mentorship with an HBO executive as writers develop a pilot script for HBO. 

The University of Hawai'i at Manoa's Department of Theatre and Dance and Kennedy Theatre are proud to present The Country Wife by William Wycherley. Directed by Assistant Professor of Theatre, Stacy Ray, this comedy of manners written in 17th century England is known for its outrageous characters, bawdiness, and satirical, sometimes farcical, view of sexuality and marriage. This quick, fun, and shameless production runs April 24, 25, 26, and 27 at 7:30 p.m., and April 28 at 2:00 p.m. in the Earle Ernst Lab Theatre; a free post-show rap will follow the April 26 performance. Tickets are $8-$18.

The University of Hawai'i at Manoa's Department of Theatre and Dance and Kennedy Theatre are proud to present The Country Wife by William Wycherley.

Tracy Letts, award winning actor, playwriter and screenwriter will accept the 2019 'Actor of the Year' Award in New York this coming April. Among his many accomplishments in theatre and film, Tracy Letts received the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his play August Osage County and a Tony for his portrayal of George in the revival of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf on Broadway. As an active member of Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Letts has left an indelible mark on the global theatre community.

On the heels of the recent premiere of the second half of season nine of its hit comedy series SHAMELESS, SHOWTIME has announced its most-watched show has been renewed for a 10th season. The renewal will make SHAMELESS the longest running series ever on SHOWTIME. Season 10 will mark the return of television's favorite dysfunctional family The Gallaghers that will include series stars Oscar® nominee and Emmy® and SAG Award winner William H. Macy, Jeremy Allen White, Ethan Cutkosky, Emma Kenney, Christian Isaiah and Cameron Monaghan. Production on season 10 will begin in 2019. The announcement was made today by Gary Levine, President of Entertainment, Showtime Networks Inc., at the Television Critics Association's Winter Press Tour.

At long last, Hedwig comes to Diversionary! This iconic musical is an integral part of the LGBT theater canon and truly rocked the musical form when it debuted Off Broadway 20 years ago. It has since been made into a movie, enjoyed productions all over the world, and had its Broadway debut starring Neil Patrick Harris, winning the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical. Our 20th anniversary production will find a thrilling new aesthetic and a renewed authenticity as we conclude a nationwide casting search for the right gender non-binary performer to fill Hedwig's boots! Get ready to rock!

It's the last week to vote for the 2018 BroadwayWorld San Diego Awards, brought to you by BroadwayHD! Readers are already setting records as they vote for their favorites. Regional productions, touring shows, and more are all included in the awards, honoring productions which opened between October 1, 2017 through September 30, 2018. Our local editors set the categories, our readers submitted their nominees, and now you get to vote for your favorites! Voting will continue through December 31st, 2018.

There's just two weeks left to vote for the 2018 BroadwayWorld San Diego Awards, brought to you by BroadwayHD! Readers are already setting records as they vote for their favorites. Regional productions, touring shows, and more are all included in the awards, honoring productions which opened between October 1, 2017 through September 30, 2018. Our local editors set the categories, our readers submitted their nominees, and now you get to vote for your favorites! Voting will continue through December 31st, 2018.