Alan Cumming
Photo: Debby Wong
By: Romeo San Vicente*/Special to TRT—
Ellen Page: Flatlining
Ellen Page, so good in Freeheld (in theaters as we speak), might very well be stepping into Julia Roberts’ shoes. Or maybe even Kiefer Sutherland’s shoes. Because someone is remaking Flatliners and Ms. Page is in talks to star. OK, you did not just say, “What’s Flatliners?” Come on, ’90s people, you remember Flatliners. It was that sci-fi movie starring Roberts and Sutherland and it was about sexy young scientists researching the afterlife by making people almost die and studying what happens when the nearly-dead go toward the light. Remember how stupid it was but you liked it anyway? Sure you do. OK, maybe you just remember that it existed at all, which is enough. And it gives the renovation team a fair amount of artistic license, a chance to freshen it up without worrying about radically changing the original. Because no one cares. In fact, our level of caring is utterly dependent upon the real-life sign-on of Ellen Page. Then we’ll care a lot, just not about the plot.
Alan Cumming’s Florent changes its reservation
In the late 1980s in New York City’s meatpacking district, idiosyncratic French restaurateur Florent Morellet opened a French diner that faithfully served customers for 23 years (until the new New York, the one destroying itself with greed, rent-hiked him out of business). And now his story is coming to cable, thanks to Alan Cumming. Florent, an oddball comedy starring Cumming in the title role, was set up last year at Sundance Channel but has made the switch to Showtime. Written by Patricia Resnick (Mad Men) and directed by Rosemary Rodriguez (The Good Wife, Cummings’ other job), the 30-minute show promises to be a sort of weird foodie’s guide to life. And honestly, does the world need another show about cops, lawyers or doctors, when what it really wants is one where coq au vin is the guest star? Search your hearts and growling stomachs – you know the answer.
Jessica Jones, who may be making out with women sometimes
Daredevil was a huge success for Marvel on Netflix, which means more and more Marvel on Netflix, you lucky nerds. Next up? Jessica Jones, the former superheroine/private eye, who joins The New Avengers alongside husband Luke Cage. Recently, at New York Comic-Con, the pilot episode was screened and its plotline suggested that Jones (played by the very cool Krysten Ritter) may have once been involved with a woman. Does that matter? Damn right it matters. And to make it even more enticing, co-star Carrie-Anne Moss will play a woman-loving lawyer who hires Jones for a job. With so little LGBT presence making it to the TV and film versions of Marvel stories up to this point (it’s been happening in the comic books for a while already), the importance of this development cannot be overstated. Queer viewers, fire up those DVRs.
Absolutely Fabulous movie finally begins shooting
Doesn’t it feel like we’ve been talking about the Absolutely Fabulous movie for 20 years? They got around to making another Star Wars movie with Harrison Ford before anyone could confirm that AbFab The Film was even going to be a real thing. So today is a special day; today is the day you learn that principal photography on Fox Searchlight Pictures’ and BBC Films’ Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie has begun in the U.K. and the south of France. The shoot will last seven weeks. Stars Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley will be joined by original cast members Julia Sawalha, Jane Horrocks and June Whitfield. Patsy and Edina will dress up, drink up and fall down. All will be right with the world. Speaking officially on the matter, Saunders says, “I am thrilled and excited to finally start filming. We are all taking our medication and hoping for the best.” Begin planning your outfit for its 2016 release.
*Romeo San Vicente is currently carrying a Rick Owens live-human-being-backpack all around Los Angeles. He can be reached care of this publication or at DeepInsideHollywood@qsyndicate.com.
