Fred Armisen Cashes In His Hipster Cred
Today in showbiz news: Fred Armisen is going to collaborate with Kings of Leon, Starz gets really excited about pirates, Fox will open a theme park, and more.
.Today in showbiz news: Fred Armisen is going to collaborate with Kings of Leon, Starz gets really excited about pirates, Fox will open a theme park, and more.
In a shocking turn of events, Fred Armisen is betraying the hipster community who flocked to his television sketch series Portlandia. He will collaborate with a musical act so middling that no self-respecting hipster would ever dare to ironically listen to them. Yes, Armisen will direct a VEVO webcast in early August for Kings of Leon, who are close to rivaling U2 as the least hip band around. What Armisen will bring to a Kings of Leon concert webcast is unknown, but it is safe to say that he will probably not be putting a bird on this webcast. [The Wrap]
Starz really thinks people are keen on seeing non-Johnny Depp pirates do premium cable drama things, like use bad words, have sex, and fight. The network has renewed its Michael Bay-produced pirate drama Black Sails for a second season, even though the first season does not air until January. If that wasn't enough of a description for you, the show is a prequel to Treasure Island depicting the early days of John Silver. [The Hollywood Reporter]
Did you walk out of Ang Lee's spiritual 3D fantasy Life of Pi wishing it were a theme park attraction? Do you live in Malaysia, or plan to visit there in 2016? There is some great news for you if you answered "Yes" to both of those questions—Fox will open its first theme park in Malaysia in 2016, featuring attractions inspired by Lee's drama, Alien and Ice Age. Let's hope that whoever at Fox is in charge of developing theme park adaptations doesn't overlook its Fox Searchlight library. For instance, a 127 Hours Experience could allow thrill seekers to pretend to have their arm trapped in a rock. Or maybe Black Swan: The Ride could take people on a descent into ballet-themed insanity. Of course, Fox needs to incorporate a Sideways Wine Bar and Best Exotic Marigold Hotel Hotel. [The Hollywood Reporter]
Bravo will not be breaking away from its core brand of reality television in the near future, and embracing scripted dramas as many of its cable competitors have. The network has officially passed on Rita, the second of two scripted drama pilots it commissioned. Rita starred Anna Gunn, best known for her depiction of the polarizing Skyler White on Breaking Bad, as "an acerbic, outspoken private-school teacher who struggles to raise her three teenage children while dealing with the inane bureaucracy and overprotective parents at her school." Wait, that sounds reasonably thoughtful, which probably is something of a deviation from Bravo's bread and butter of reality shows and spinoffs of reality shows. Fox, the studio behind Rita, is shopping it around to other television networks, so maybe it will find a more appropriate home. [Deadline]