No matter how much horror storytelling evolves and changes with the times, some constants will likely always remain: scream queens rule, and the more genre vets in one movie, the merrier. Both of those notions are being tapped into for an upcoming horror movie titled River that will bring together stars from Evil Dead, Happy Death Day, Prey and more. Huzzah!

Specifically, Evil Dead and Don't Breathe survivor Jane Levy is starring opposite the Happy Death Day films' Jessica Roth for a new slasher flick titled River, which is set for a theatrical release as a Shudder Original. If that star duo wasn't enough to sway everyone, we also have Prey's Predator actor himself, Dane DiLiegro, who's also popped up in spooky projects like V/H/S/Beyond, American Horror Stories, and Werewolves. (He was also one of my favorite things about Only Murders in the Building Season 5, oddly enough.)

Rounding out the main cast that's been announced (via Variety) is Max Mattern, who most recently portrayed victim Billy Carroll in Peacock's true crime drama Devil In Disguise: John Wayne Gacy.

What Will River Be About?

River is described as being about a trio of estranged siblings who come together following their father's death with a goal of spreading his ashes around a remote river area that he loved most. But the mournful voyage takes a horrific turn when their boat breaks down miles from anyone who can help them, and without working communication. And yep, that's when they realize that they're also being hunted down by a terrifying threat that comes out of the nearby woods. The siblings have to continue setting aside their differences in order to survive the nightmare stalking them.

The logline makes it sound as if the threat may be slightly more than just a hulking feral human, with the words "almost mythic" being used. But maybe that's reading too much into it. Either way, it sounds great, and I can't wait to see Levy and Rothe in survival mode together, both antagonistically and cooperatively.

The Other Horror Talents Behind The Scenes

River is the first feature from writer/director Josh Guiliano, who has cut his teeth on award-winning horror shorts, and it's a project six years in the making. But while he's newer to the scene, he worked with some veteran genre producers to get the film made.

First off is someone I will always beat the drum for regardless of the project: Nick Antosca, who created Channel Zero and has written/produced for a slew of excellent horror shows such as Chucky, Hannibal, and Brand New Cherry Flavor, as well as true crime series like The Act and the currently streaming Murdaugh: Death in the Family. (He's also behind the upcoming Cape Fear series, which happens to co-star the aforementioned Max Mattern.) Antosca and Alex Hedlund's Eat The Cat produced the movie alongside another horror-friendly banner.

Also behind River is Spooky Pictures' Steven Schneider, who broke out with the Paranormal Activity and Insidious franchises, and later aligned with M. Night Shyamalan's run of releases from The Visit through Knock at the Cabin. More recently, he's worked on acclaimed features such as Watcher, Late Night with the Devil and one of this year's many Stephen King adaptations, The Long Walk.

Beyond River, Jane Levy is set to star in the upcoming thriller Whalefall with Josh Brolin, a survival thriller that takes place partly inside of a whale, while Jessica Rothe will pop up in the 2026 release schedule for the Amazon rainforest-set horror Titan, from Mike P. Nelson, who helmed the upcoming 2025 movie Silent Night, Deadly Night remake. Long live scream queens!

We'll be waiting for more news on River like a release date, which hopefully won't emerge from the woods in the form of a deadly evil entity.

Musical dramedy Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist was one of rare shows to find new life on streaming following its cancellation on network television. The series made its way to the Roku Channel by way of a Christmas movie in order to wrap things up. And now, lead star Jane Levy has shared her thoughts on how the movie ended and whether or not it provides much-needed closure for viewers and herself.

NBC’s cancellation was heartbreaking but, by tying up some loose ends in the movie, the producers were able to give fans more of the characters they'd come to know on the NBC show. Still, some are sure to have mixed feelings regarding whether the film was an effective send-off. Jane Levy sat down with Collider to talk all things Zoey’s Extraordinary Christmas, and she had an interesting way of putting things. And in doing so, she also made referenced a popular series with a famous and controversial finale:

It's hard to wrap up two seasons worth of stories in a two-hour holiday movie. The movie ultimately ended with Max losing the powers he'd gained and realizing that he got them so he could understand what Zoey is going through. Meanwhile, the titular character learned realizing that she needs to focus on herself and those closest to her. Overall, it was a beautiful way to finish things off. And I think most would agree that it's way less controversial than the Sopranos series finale.

The ending of Zoey’s Extraordinary Christmas did provide closure, at least for a number of fans, but it did also leave the door open for more stories. Jane Levy continued to discuss how things panned out, saying:

Even though the future of Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist is up in the air at Roku, the  movie did at the very least provide a truly positive ending. And we can definitely be grateful that the door is still open for more stories, as the producers will have no trouble keeping things going should the show get renewed. 

Both seasons of Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist are now streaming on Peacock.

The ending for Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist that fans have wanted since it was axed by NBC in June is very nearly upon us, in the form of a sure-to-be delightful holiday movie on The Roku Channel, Zoey’s Extraordinary Christmas. The film will see Zoey attempt to give her family a perfect Christmas, as inspired by what her dad would have done, in their first holiday without him, and star Jane Levy has now opened up about how Zoey will change in the new movie.

Across the two-season run of Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, Zoey’s main struggles were about dealing with the loss of her father, Mitch, and navigating the new (sometimes awesome) power that allowed her to see people’s innermost thoughts and feelings. While both things have certainly changed Zoey a lot already, Jane Levy recently revealed to TV Insider that with her first Christmas season without her dad having arrived, there are even more changes on the way. As Levy said:

Awwww! So, it sounds like a big change for Zoey now is going to involve her realizing that her family (and possibly Mitch, in particular) has given her everything she needs to be able to fully love Max, and she’s going to have to be able to start doing that without holding back. Of course, this will now be a bit easier than it was on the couple’s first go-round. Not only did Max come to terms with Zoey being able to hear anyone’s heart songs (including his) long ago, but as those who watched the Season 2 finale will know, he now also has the same gift.

Even though Max and Zoey got back together at the end of the second season, this happened right before it was revealed that he’d somehow developed her ability to hear and see all of the hidden singing and dancing that Zoey had been navigating. And, he can totally hear her heart songs now, meaning that this new leg of their romance will be way more balanced than it was the first time around. 

It sounds as though this will, as expected, be a boon for their coupledom, as Jane Levy noted. But, it doesn’t mean that there won’t be disagreements between them, as it also sounds like Zoey’s Extraordinary Christmas will show some disparity with how Zoey treats this gift, as opposed to how new heart song-listener Max treats it.

Luckily, we can see how it all turns out when Zoey’s Extraordinary Christmas debuts on The Roku Channel on December 1. Fans can also watch both seasons of Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist on the streaming channel, but for more on new holiday movies and specials, check out our 2021 Christmas movies and TV schedule! 

2020 and 2021 have been pretty prolific years when it comes to beloved TV shows being cancelled for one reason or another. One of those unfortunate cancellations ended the two-season run of NBC's beloved (if not extremely high-rated) musical dramedy Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist, starring Jane Levy and Mary Steenburgen. While the earliest attempts to find the show a new home didn't appear to be successful, everybody can put their lighters and lit-up cell phones in the air, because Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist is coming back for a properly conceived swan song.

Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist won't be returning to its former home at NBC for its wrap-up story (and Jane Levy might have had some strong words had they asked her to return there). Instead, the tuneful romances will have a new home on The Roku Channel, which has ordered up a new feature-length TV movie. And for anybody out there who was secretly hoping that Zoey & Co. would get a holiday-themed exit, then it's time to set up the mistletoe and start celebrating.

The Roku Channel's new project will be dubbed Zoey's Extraordinary Christmas, and the plan is for the movie finale to hit the streaming platform during the 2021 holiday season. That doesn't exactly leave a ton of time to get things made, but it does sound like Roku Channel has been working behind the scenes with creator Austin Winsberg for long enough that the creative details are largely worked out.

For one, the entire cast is reportedly coming back for the new project. And the plan is for Zoey's Extraordinary Christmasto go into production in Vancouver this month, so it can be lightly presumed that Austin Winsberg already wrote the script for it, or is at least in the final stages. No story details were revealed, but the announcement did state that the holiday-set follow-up will pick things up where the TV show left off with its Season 2 finale, with Zoey attempting to maintain a sane balance of life, love, work, family, and harmonious rhythms. (Okay, maybe not that last one.) The TV film will be directed by Richard Shepard, who also helmed the pilot for Zoey's.

Creator Austin Winsberg shared some very appreciative thoughts about the new streaming home for Zoey's, saying:

Despite Roku being known more for its streaming devices than its original IP production, the company's execs have definitely been building up that side of its free-to-watch Roku Channel. Arguably its biggest acquisition was picking up the entire library of short-form Quibi series that were left without a home after the massive-budgeted platform went belly-up. Now it looks like Roku may continue serving as a potential lifeline for cancelled-too-soon projects, so expect for it to enter the conversation the next time a broadcast network pulls the plug on a fan-favorite series in the coming months.

On top of the new projects, The Roku Channel will soon have all 25 episodes of Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist available to stream later this fall to prep fans for the final hurrah to join the 2021 Fall TV season.

There are many reasons why an actor wouldn’t return for the sequel to a hit movie they made. Sometimes contract negotiations fall through; sometimes there are creative differences between performers and filmmakers; and sometimes the story being told moves away from specific characters. In the case of the upcoming Don’t Breathe 2, it’s a bit of Column C that explains why the film doesn’t feature the return of Jane Levy’s Rocky, the protagonist of the original – but there is also another reason in the mix as well, and it’s one that you would probably never guess: apparently writer/producer Fede Alvarez didn’t want Levy to come back partially out of concern for the effect that the effort would have had on her.

Alvarez, who directed Don’t Breathe, worked with Jane Levy not only on the 2016 film, but also 2013’s Evil Dead – and while he considers both of their collaborations to be successes, he evidently walked away from the experiences with certain concerns regarding his star’s time on set. The filmmaker opened up about his relationship with the actor this week during a trailer preview event for Don’t Breathe 2 in Los Angeles, answering a question regarding why Levy isn’t featured in the sequel. Said Alvarez,

Reflecting on both Evil Dead and Don’t Breathe, one can understand why Fede Alvarez would hold this perspective. After all, Jane Levy’s characters in both movies experience some horrific trials (albeit very different ones), and when you’re on set filming those kinds of scenes it can take a lot out of a performer – especially a dedicated one like Levy.

Continuing, Fede Alvarez complemented her commitment to the work, but also suggested that in a way he didn’t feel great about what he was making her commit to. He wondered aloud if Jane Levy would have possibly agreed to make Don’t Breathe 2, but he noted that even if she did it would have put him in a kind of compromising situation:

The filmmaker further explained that there was nothing inappropriate happening on set; his feelings are instead more about the toll that Evil Dead and Don’t Breathe took on Jane Levy while they were in production. He laughed while acknowledging that most audiences probably don’t care, and that they would just want to see Rocky back in Don’t Breathe 2 regardless, but it was something he clearly thought about a lot. Fede Alvarez explained,

As alluded to earlier, though, that wasn’t the only reason Don’t Breathe 2 didn’t bring back Jane Levy – and that point was articulated by Fede Alvarez’s writing partner Rodo Sayagues, who co-wrote Don’t Breathe and has made his directorial debut with the sequel. Less emotional and more practical, Sayagues noted that one of the key reasons why Rocky isn’t back is simply because she didn’t really factor into the story being told with the follow-up:

For those who don’t remember, the end of Don’t Breathe saw Jane Levy’s Rocky successfully survive her encounter with Stephen Lang’s terrifying Norman Nordstrom and escape with the money he won from the court settlement following the death of his daughter. She uses the cash to steal away to California with her younger sister, hopeful that they will be able to start a new life together.

Piggybacking on Rodo Sayagues’ comments, Fede Alvarez added that Rocky’s story is pretty much over, and that a sequel may not have made sense with her at the center. Said Alvarez,

Starring Stephen Lang, Brendan Sexton III, Madelyn Grace, Adam Young, and Rocci Williams, Don’t Breathe 2 is now just a few weeks away, set to drop in theaters on August 13. To see what else is ahead on the big screen between now and the end of the year, be sure to check out our 2021 Movie Release Calendar.

NBC’s musical dramedy Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist recently got a surprise cancellation, even after it seemed like it would be moving to NBC’s sister streaming platform, Peacock. Much of the cast and crew have spoken out about the shocking decision, and star Jane Levy is now calling out the network and throwing in her two cents.

Jane Levy recently spoke out about NBC’s lineup, which will soon include a full night of Law & Order, in addition to its One Chicago Wednesdays. During that interview with Vanity Fair, she spoke about her show’s cancellation and called out the network for having multiple procedurals in the lineup, while Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, which centers on love and music, was taken off the air:

At present, Lionsgate is reportedly shopping the series around to other places, and fans and cast members are campaigning to have the show saved. As this happens, Jane Levy seems to be making it a point to let people know how much Zoey’s meant to her and how much of herself she put into the show:

Although there were talks of Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist moving to Peacock, NBC was holding out for more viewers. There was even a marathon on E! on few weeks ago, during which the network aired all 25 episodes of the series. The network seemingly waited as long as it could after the finale aired, as the powers that be wanted to give the show time to air all of the episodes of the season. This is a method that's been applied to other shows that have been on the bubble. With Zoey’s and freshman series Debris now cancelled, veteran series Manifest, which just aired its third season finale, and Good Girls, which returns later this summer, are the two remaining shows that have not been renewed.

Season 2 of Zoey’s included many different storylines, such as one centered on equality in the workplace and, of course, there was the ongoing love triangle between Zoey, Max (Skylar Astin) and Simon (John Clarence Stewart). The season also included an original song (which would have likely been the first of many had the series been renewed) and even a flashback episode. The series also featured a number of bigger musical performances throughout the season.

Having Jane Levy back as Zoey Clarke in a new season of Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist would be a dream come true but, while you wait to see if that actually happens, you can stream both seasons of the show on Peacock.

The Season 2 finale of Jane Levy's Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist aired in mid-May, and while there were early talks about possibly moving the NBC musical dramedy to sister streaming service Peacock, the network has decided to cancel the series completely. However Zoey’s showrunner Austin Winsberg is not going down without a fight, and he doesn't think fans should, either.

Almost as soon as news broke about the cancellation, Austin Winsberg took to Twitter to rally fans to help save the show and start a hashtag movement. In a thread of inspired tweets, the showrunner told fans that he believes they have a real chance at finding new life for Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist, and he also tagged other members of the ensemble cast to get their involvement. Within hours, the hashtag was trending high on Twitter, sparking more hope amongst the fanbase. Here's what Winsberg had to say:

Fan campaigns have been partially responsible for saving multiple series from cancellations in recent years, such as the Fox-to-NBC comedy Brooklyn Nine-Nine and the Fox-to-Netflix drama Lucifer. More recently, fans were campaigning to save recently axed series like CBS’ MacGyver and Fox’s Prodigal Son, though no further news has come out about either of those. Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist is just the latest to enter fan campaigns, and for good reason.

Lionsgate, the studio behind the musical dramedy, is reportedly shopping Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist to other networks and streaming platforms, and the studio made sure fans knew that they are being heard on Twitter:

Many actors from the musical dramedy have also gone on social media to share their thoughts about the cancellation, and to spread awareness for the hashtag push. John Clarence Stewart, who plays Simon, thanked fans for their support by retweeting and liking their heartfelt messages:

Pitch Perfect actor Skylar Astin, who portrays Max, is also encouraging fans to take part in the #SaveZoeysPlaylist campaign. He shared Austin Winsberg’s thread and a screenshot of the hashtag holding at the #1 spot on Trending. While it’s heartbreaking to think about never reuniting with Zoey, Max, Mo and company, it would be surprising if the show isn’t picked up elsewhere else, considering this outpouring of fan love and support:

Deb actress Bernadette Peters simply shared her disappointment about the series getting canceled, noting the musical aspect and its beautiful storylines, while also sharing the hashtag:

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist’s cancellation is a major disappointment, especially since viewers were hoping for more following that Season 2 finale. Even though the rate of successful fan campaigns isn't altogether positive, let's hope that the extra help from the cast and crew will help convince another studio to step in and bring the show back for an extended encore.

In the meantime, spend some of your 2021 Summer TV season by streaming both seasons of Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist on Peacock.

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist Season 2 has been a tuneful whirlwind of emotions thus far, between losing fan favorite characters, keepings its wild love triangle together, and dealing out some major heartbreak. With the season finale rapidly approaching, combined with the fact that NBC hasn't yet renewed the musical dramedy for Season 3, fans have some major questions about what to expect, and how "finalized" the installment's conclusion will be. Showrunner Austin Winsberg has addressed these concerns, saying that he has been and will be acting as if Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist still has a future on NBC, and he explained why he did not consider cancellation when writing the Season 2 finale.

In an interview with TV Line, showrunner Austin Winsberg said that the upcoming Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist Season 2 finale is not intended to serve as a series finale. Although NBC has not said whether the sophomore series will be renewed or canceled, Winsberg says that no one at the network has given him any indication that he should have written to any kind of a set-in-stone ending. In his words:

So it sounds like there are some character storylines that will get some answers and come to a close, as it were, there will still be plenty of material left open-ended for the creative team to work on for a potential third season. Seeing as how there will apparently be some pretty big cliffhangers in the upcoming finale, it would really be a slap in the face to both fans and the cast/crew if NBC were to pull the plug after the episode was already filmed and in the can.

Although heartbreak, emotional loss, and other challenges are certainly faced on a regular basis in Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist, an ongoing theme of the show has always been "hope." For the same reason that Austin Winsberg did not include COVID in the second season, he seems to be presenting the finale as if the show still has a full future on NBC. Here, Winsberg reiterates that he did not go into the episode believing it to be the last Zoey installment he'd be putting together .

While it can be promising to hear a showrunner talk as if he has all the intentions in the world of continuing a series, the last word obviously will have to come from NBC, and networks have a way of destroying such promises. If the execs do end up canceling the series, it could leave fans with loose ends that never get tied up, a fate that has befallen so many shows before.

It looks like we’ll just have to wait and see what the network decides, but one thing is for sure: we have at least one more episode to look forward to. The Season 2 finale of Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist will air on NBC on Sunday, May 16, at 9:00 p.m. ET, and while it’s titles “Zoey’s Extraordinary Goodbye,” it certainly wasn’t written as a final goodbye, extraordinary or otherwise.

Season 2 of Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist has been pulling out all the stops largely by including more storylines and musical numbers involving the full array of characters, rather than just the central leads. In one upcoming episode, for example, fans will see more backstory for Alice Lee's Emily and Andrew Leeds' David, and it sounds like they won’t be disappointed with what's on the way.

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist star Alice Lee spoke with TVInsider and hinted at what viewers can expect from Emily for the remainder of the season. Not only will her character be involved in some more musical moments, but Lee teased the upcoming flashback episode that will likely shine some new light on Emily and David's history together. Lee said:

Emily and David’s relationship this season has shown that every couple has their ups and downs. With Emily suffering from postpartum depression, it’s put a strain on their relationship, though she has continued to be supportive of David, not wanting to be a burden. They are definitely trying to make it all work, for themselves and for their son Miles. With the flashback episode taking place seven years prior to current events, fans will likely get to see more of what Emily and David went through together before the events of Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist started up, and will hopefully make an emotional bridge between then and now.

The flashback episode will feature one of many storylines and new ideas that are being included for the second season of Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, both in terms of format and social commentary. In one recent episode, the series included its very first original song, and it was most likely the first of many, assuming NBC keeps this audience winner on the air. While there isn’t too much known about the episode, it seems it will revolve quite a bit around Emily and David and their relationship.

Flashback episodes of TV shows are a great way to learn more about characters while still connecting to the current storyline, and it's always more meaningful when backstories are crucial to understanding how and why characters are the way they are. When Zoey’s first started out, Emily and David’s relationship was already established, but was also still in the midst of being developed. Now that they have a baby they are working on their relationship even more than before.

Seeing what Emily and David's relationship was like in the beginning, and learning the things that initially connected them could prove that nothing will be able to break them apart, even if they do have some disagreements and arguments along the way. Their relationship has been a big storyline so far this season, as well as Zoey’s involvement within that courtship, as she’s trying to help her sister-in-law. How far back everyone's stories go will be interesting to see.

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on NBC.

NBC's musical dramedy Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist built up its core fanbase thanks in part to covering popular songs of the past and present with performances both big and small. However, in the latest episode, not only did the characters celebrate Zoey’s 30th birthday, someone very important to Jane Levy's Zoey honored her in the best way possible: with a fully original non-cover song.

Zoey’s brother David (Andrew Leeds) and her Aussie neighbor Aiden (Felix Mallard) gave audiences a first-of-its-kind performance for Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist, taking on an original track for the titular character's birthday party, which she was originally going to cancel. The new song, titled “Crimson Love,” was co-written by executive story editor Lindsey Rosin and showrunner Austin Winsberg, and the latter told TVLine that they’d been wanting to tackle an original song since the show's earliest days, and it was all just a matter of finding the perfect time to make it happen. Winsberg explained:

Sunday’s episode, dubbed “Zoey’s Extraordinary Birthday,” involved Zoey grappling with her feelings for Simon, Max and Aiden, all while trying to celebrate the big 3-0. Part of her emotional mindset centered on her dad's belief that big moments, like turning 30, should always be celebrated. Lindsey Rosin and Austin Winsberg described the original song as “comedic, heartfelt and a little bit awkward,” which also described the scene itself feature Zoey and other party guests watching the band in action. But despite the super-cute moment, Zoey’s heart went in a different direction at the end of the party.

Zoey has been struggling with her feelings for Max and Simon for a while now, but after the introduction of Aiden, she found a whole lot of new feelings creeping up. But just how long will such infatuations last? Although the end of the latest episode showed Zoey’s true feelings come out about a particular guy, will those emotions hold strong forever? Probably not. Just when things in Zoey’s life finally start to slow down and take shape, something, or someone, always gets in the way.

With one original song under its belt, Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist could possibly crank out even more new-to-viewers ditties. Even though the covers and their choreographed performances are one of the best parts of the show, the original song in Sunday’s episode proved that the series doesn't need to rely on existing pop music to make those sequences work. It's awesome that Austin Winsberg & Co. were able to find what they felt was the perfect time to make it happen, and if there are more ways to write tunes that fit in with the storylines going forward, this Playlist could start sparking some major hits of its own.

Keep your eyes and ears open for more music when Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on NBC.

Spoilers ahead for the fifth episode of Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist Season 2, called "Zoey's Extraordinary Trip."

Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist returned to NBC with an episode that sent Zoey on a wild trip, but not exactly the kind of trip that involves travel. Deciding to be a rebel after Season 2 so far, Zoey went along with neighbor Aiden in sampling drugs, and they were joined by an unexpected person: SPRQ Point CEO Danny Michael Davis, freed from house arrest and ready for a trip of his own. The unlikely trio went on a drug-fueled journey that involved sharing secrets, eating popsicles, and a musical number led by Jane Levy that proves yet again that Zoey deserves to sing all the time.

Yes, Zoey led the guys (and then a group of bystanders) in a fun and frenzied performance of Nicki Minaj's "Starships", complete with vivid colors and Zoey actually enjoying starring in a musical number for once. Admittedly, my biggest laugh of the number actually came from Noah Weisberg unexpectedly belting a line of "Starships" before joining Zoey's choreography, although only because I didn't expect that voice to come out of Danny Michael Davis. Felix Mallard was great as Aiden as well, but the whole number struck me as one big example of Jane Levy proving that she needs to perform in musical numbers as often as possible.

Now, I can admit that there are limited ways that Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist can actually give Jane Levy the chance to sing, since Zoey is normally the one and only character on the show who isn't supposed to burst into song with no notice. To date, ZEP has either had to go with dream sequences, glitching powers, a capella in Skylar Astin's killer mashup, or now a drug-fueled fantasy sequence. And I honestly would prefer Zoey not singing at all to seeing her sing with glitching powers on a regular basis like she did in a Season 1 episode. Levy crushed those performances, but talk about A-W-K-W-A-R-D in the workplace!

But it's not just the singing that makes me want to see Jane Levy in more musical numbers. In fact, I would probably rank Alex Newell's Mo or Skylar Astin's Max as the best singers of the series, although John Clarence Stewart as Simon proves why he belongs in the ZEP cast on a weekly basis. Levy just throws herself into the performances, whether it was the awkward moments that Zoey couldn't help when she was glitching in Season 1, her emotional recurring "Nowhere to Run" nightmare, or now with "Starships" and its choreography. As Zoey, she can go from goofy to emotionally drained to painfully self-aware while nailing dance moves.

If Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist can just somehow find an excuse for Zoey to participate in more musical numbers, even if it's just adding to the choreography of other songs, I might find a way to love this show even more. Jane Levy has already gotten to sing a surprising number of times in Season 2, which executive producer Paul Feig addressed in a recent interview with CinemaBlend, saying:

Do I want Zoey to do drugs on a weekly basis just because "Starships" was so much fun? Of course not, and Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist isn't just a show that delivers laughs, as proved elsewhere in "Zoey's Extraordinary Trip" with Max's "Numb" to his father and Simon's "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" before taking a risky stand at a press conference after being asked to defend facial recognition software that misidentifies people of color. Still, if ZEP can find more organic reasons for Jane Levy to dust off her pipes and tap her toes to the choreography, Season 2 has already proved that she can nail it.

Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist is heading toward a hiatus, but the first half of Season 2 isn't out of episodes yet. The next new installment airs on Tuesday, February 9 at 8 p.m. ET on NBC, and primetime will be packed with options once ZEP goes on its break.

With Season 2 of NBC’s Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist rapidly approaching, anticipation for the musical dramedy is on the rise. Being that the show takes place in pretty much real time, fans may wonder if they can expect to see Jane Levy’s titular character in a mask and hear musical numbers about social distancing. If you were concerned about the pandemic clouding the already emotional storyline of Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, you need not worry, as it’s been confirmed that te COVID pandemic will not exist in the same world as Zoey and her friends.

The creator of Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, Austin Winsberg, assured fans in an interview with ET that the pandemic we are experiencing will not touch Zoey’s world. Here's how he put it:

This is most likely a huge sigh of relief to fans, and a smart move for the show. Musicals like Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, although set in a realistic world, are still escapist shows. Yes, there are some strong emotions behind a lot of the musical numbers, but breaking into song and dance is not the status quo of real life, as much as we may wish it was. In these pandemic times when many people haven’t seen friends and family in close to a year, we at least want our fictional music numbers to be fun and fancy (mask)free.

Even though COVID is not present in Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, viewers will apparently get to see some similar pandemic-centric emotions reflected in what Zoey is going through. At the end of Season 1, we saw Zoey lose her father and can expect to witness some lingering grief, at the very least, in Season 2. Whether metaphorically or quite literally, Zoey's loss can easily mirror the tragedies that have occurred across the country during the pandemic.

According to the show’s creator, we can expect even more nods to the hardships everyone has faced this past year, and will continue to face for the unforeseen future. Here's hoping they still find ways to pepper in the laughs and warm feelings, though.

Season 2 of Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist premieres on NBC on Tuesday, January 5, at 8:00 p.m. ET. Keep checking back with CinemaBlend for all your TV and movie news.

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist boasts an extraordinary cast, musical numbers, and a whole lot of heartfelt storytelling. At the center of it all is series star Jane Levy, whose titular character is able to hear others singing their innermost thoughts and feelings. While Levy has starred in other TV shows, Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist was different from anything she had tackled before. Recently, the actress revealed the advice Gilmore Girls alum Lauren Graham gave her while filming Season 1.

Jane Levy may be surrounded by an exceptional cast of co-stars, but she carried Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist. She was in practically every scene in Season 1 and, since all of the storylines connected back to her, Levy’s Zoey was pivotal to every aspect of the show. For Levy, that meant 15-hour days, dance rehearsals, ADR sessions, and reminding herself to eat. Having starred in Gilmore Girls for seven seasons, Lauren Graham knows what it’s like leading a one-hour drama. Speaking with Deadline, Levy revealed the advice Graham gave her about the role. Here’s what she said:

Lauren Graham offered some pretty sage advice. Gilmore Girls was game-changing for Graham and it seems the same opportunity has now come along for Jane Levy. And it’s true that roles like Zoey Clarke really don’t “come up often.”

Jane Levy went on to say that being a part of Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist has been rewarding for her. The musical drama “speaks so specifically” to everything the actress looked for in a role and that she couldn’t “imagine anyone else playing Zoey.” After watching Levy give her all to Zoey all season, I can’t imagine anyone else playing the character either. When she slips into character, it’s magic.

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist has been renewed for Season 2, so Jane Levy will get to play Zoey once more next season. According to showrunner Austin Winsberg, the series could explore more of Zoey’s powers in Season 2. Whatever next season brings, viewers should definitely expect more “heart songs” and what life now looks like for Zoey following her father’s death.

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist Season 1 is currently streaming on Hulu. For more on what to watch in the coming months, be sure to check out our 2020 summer TV premiere guide.

It's that time of year again when network execs decide what shows will be renewed and what's getting the axe. For over a month, fans of Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist have been wondering when, and if, NBC would renew the musical dramedy. After being on the bubble for a while, Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist was finally renewed for Season 2 and the series' stars have reacted to the news.

Filled with fantastic musical numbers, emotional beats, and an ability to balance heart with humor, Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist garnered a lot of passionate fans over the course of its first season. Now that it's been renewed for another season, Gilmore Girls vet Lauren Graham shared her excitement for the news on Twitter. Check out her post below:

Lauren Graham and I are on the same page, as I “love these people so much,” too! At the end of Season 1, Lauren Graham’s Joan was promoted to head of SPRQ Point, the tech company where the titular character works. How that might impact Joan and Zoey’s work relationship and friendship remains to be seen. That said, Season 2 will likely explore all the storylines left hanging at the end of Season 1.

Lauren Graham wasn’t the only one who shared her feelings to social media after the Season 2 renewal announcement. Jane Levy, who plays Zoey Clarke, also posted her reaction following the big news. Levy’s reaction sounds exactly like something Zoey herself would say:

Luke Cage alum John Clarence Stewart also joined in on the social media celebration. The actor, who plays Simon and one of Zoey’s love interests on the show, thanked the fans for watching:

Jane Levy seemed extra happy because she commented on John Clarence Stewart’s tweet with “Yipeeee.” I can’t blame her, since the news of Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist renewal is, well, extraordinary and well-deserved.

Finally, Mary Steenburgen, who plays Zoey’s mom Maggie, also reacted to the renewal news, posting the same Season 2 art that some of her other cast members shared. Her happiness regarding the news was conveyed by way of several exclamation points:

Mary Steenburgen also retweeted an excited fan reaction that included a sweet gif of Maggie and Peter Gallagher’s Mitch dancing happily.

Unfortunately, Peter Gallagher probably won’t be in Season 2 of Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist because his character died at the end of Season 1, unless he appears in flashbacks. The musical’s sophomore season will likely focus on the grieving process in the wake of his death and how Zoey and her family will move on.

For now, the cast and fans are just very excited that Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist is returning for Season 2, as they should be. Season 2 doesn’t yet have a scheduled release date, but stay tuned to CinemaBlend for updates. In the meantime, fans can rewatch Season 1 on Hulu.

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist Season 1 was a revelation. The NBC series premiered at midseason and its feel-good nature and thoughtful exploration of heavy storylines and themes made it a standout. Oh, and the characters bursting into song while Jane Levy’s Zoey Clarke watched them perform their feelings made an already strong show all the more worth watching.

Season 1 ended on a somber note, but there were plenty of storylines left unresolved and a whole lot of potential plots that could be developed next season. Unfortunately, Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist hasn’t officially been renewed for Season 2. Showrunner Austin Winsberg is hopeful that NBC will move forward and greenlight Season 2, but the musical drama’s future is up in the air for now.

It would, honestly, be a shame if the series wasn’t given another chance, seeing as how strong Season 1 was. So, here are five reasons why Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist needs to be renewed for Season 2.

The Show’s Handling Of Grief

Season 1 of the NBC musical show saw Zoey coping with the fact that her father, Peter Gallagher’s Mitch, wasn’t long for this world. After being diagnosed with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP), Mitch’s health deteriorated rather quickly. The series took the time to explore the storyline slowly and with a deep sense of care. What’s more, Zoey's friend Simon also got a chance to sort through his complex feelings in the wake of his own father’s suicide.

Grief is a universal part of our life experience. Losing a loved one is never easy, but rarely do television shows tackle the subject matter as thoughtfully as Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist did in Season 1. If the first season was about facing the inevitable death of a parent, then Season 2 could likely tackle the impact Mitch’s death will have on Zoey and the rest of her family. There’s a lot more story to tell about grief and the aftermath of loss and the show is just getting started.

The Unresolved Love Triangle

So much of Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist Season 1 was spent on the love triangle between Zoey, Max, and Simon. Zoey was very into John Clarence Stewart’s Simon, her colleague and emotional confidante. Then there’s Max, played by Pitch Perfect alum Skylar Astin, Zoey’s ever-loyal best friend. Despite Zoey getting to the point of nearly sleeping with both of them (not at the same time), the love triangle remained open-ended by the end of Season 1.

Jane Levy had some thoughts about the Team Max vs. Team Simon debate, while showrunner Austin Winsberg explained why the Season 1 finale didn’t resolve Zoey’s predicament. A potential Season 2 could finally provide us with an answer, or draw out the love triangle drama a bit longer. Either way, Zoey has a lot on her plate and the Season 1 finale set it up so that viewers will want to find out how this particular storyline will play out.

The Outstanding Musical Numbers

One of the most enjoyable aspects of Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist has been the musical numbers. It’s certainly a unique storytelling style, with the performances witnessed from Zoey’s perspective while occurring inside other characters’ heads. Every song is chosen to accompany the feelings of the character(s) singing and it's quite incredible to watch how well executed and poignant (or funny) each performance can be.

There are so many standout performances, such as the American Sign Language production of Rachel Platten's "Fight Song" or the seven-minute long rendition of Don McLean’s "American Pie" in the Season 1 finale, which served as the first collaboration involving the entire cast. Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist should be renewed for Season 2 so that viewers can get even more of these moving and memorable performances.

Zoey’s Character Development And Growth

Zoey is honestly one of the most likeable characters on the show and she’s been through the ringer. But, one of the best things about her is her perseverance in the face of uncertainty, fear, and grief. Even when she’s out of her depth regarding how to solve other people’s problems, she understands that she can’t do everything on her own.

Throughout Season 1, Zoey came to realize that hearing everyone’s “heart songs” — a phrase she coined to reflect the songs the other characters sang to depict their innermost feelings — helped her understand herself and her loved ones much better. She forged an everlasting friendship with her neighbor Mo (the outstanding Alex Newell), which likely wouldn’t have happened otherwise, and decided to use her newfound abilities to help others. A potential Season 2 would be worth it just to see Zoey develop even further.

Joan Got A Promotion. What's Next?

Gilmore Girls vet Lauren Graham played Joan, Zoey's boss at a high-profile tech company. Joan overcame quite a few hurdles in Season 1, including a divorce, a brief and irresponsible fling with an employee and a rivalry with another director. In the Season 1 finale, Joan was offered a major promotion to temporarily oversee the entire company while its CEO was being investigated.

Season 2 has the potential to explore what that promotion looks like for Joan and how her new gig affects Zoey and the rest of her staff. What’s more, Joan and Zoey became good friends in Season 1 and the promotion could impact their relationship in small, but meaningful, ways. Lauren Graham is also booked to star in The Mighty Ducks series for Disney+, but she’s definitely set to return should Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist be renewed for Season 2.

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist Season 1 is currently available to stream on Hulu. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for updates. For more on what to watch in the coming months, be sure to check out our 2020 summer TV premiere guide.

Spoilers ahead for the Season 1 finale of Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist.

Zoey Clarke faced a lot of hurdles over the course of Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist's Season 1. She had to contend with her fears of losing her dad, work was often a hot mess that Zoey had to manage, and her relationship status was complicated by the love of two men, Simon and Max. Season 1 ended without having fullyresolved the love triangle, but series star Jane Levy recently shared her thoughts about the Team Max vs. Team Simon debate.

In the Season 1 finale, Zoey proved she still really liked Simon, who sang Nick Jonas' “Jealous” when he saw she was hanging out with Max. However, after offering Max his job back, Simon admitted that he didn’t want to return to the same thing and liked being manager. Drawn in by Max’s newfound confidence, Zoey kissed him. But how does Jane Levy really feel about Team Max vs. Team Simon? The actress might very well have a preference for Zoey might end up with in a potential Season 2. Here’s what she told Variety:

Thank you, Jane Levy, for validating that John Clarence Stewart’s Simon “is so hot,” because she’s definitely not wrong about that! That said, it sure sounds like the NBC star already knows who Zoey’s endgame match will be, and that Max is the better fit for Zoey in the “long term.”

That’s a fair assessment by all means, though the verdict is obviously still out on who she will actually end up with for good — or, at the very least, officially date for a while — in a potential Season 2. As for which man Zoey would want to be stuck with in quarantine, Levy further teased that “We all know who the right one is…” The suspense!

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist showrunner Austin Winsberg explained that the love triangle was left “open-ended” in the Season 1 finale because he wanted to “continue to create different options” for Zoey heading into an eventual second season. Unfortunately, NBC has not yet renewed the musical series for a sophomore season, but stay tuned to CinemaBlend for updates.

Though the new episodes have run their course, Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist Season 1 is currently available to stream on Hulu. For more on what to watch, be sure to check out our 2020 summer TV premiere guide.

Gilmore Girls actress Lauren Graham has a new show lined up and ready to go. The Golden Globe nominee, who also starred in the acclaimed NBC drama Parenthood, took some time away from television last season. Now she’s back and ready to give her all to what could be a new and exciting series called Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist.

Lauren Graham has been cast in the role of Joan, Zoey’s manager and, according to TVLine, the actress has signed a “one-year deal” with the series. NBC ordered the pilot back in January before ordering the show to series a few months later in May. Interestingly, Graham is coming in as a recast. She’s replacing Carmen Cusack, who played Joan in the pilot episode prior to her departure from the series.

Graham expressed her excitement for her new role on Twitter, noting,

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist follows the story of Zoey (Jane Levy), who suddenly finds herself able to hear other people’s thoughts, but to the tune of varying songs. Of course, she doesn’t want these powers at the beginning, but quickly realizes they’re not so bad.

As Lauren Graham mentioned in her Twitter post, the show is a musical and approaches its storyline from a unique angle. After all, there have been so many characters who have found themselves being cursed with reading people’s minds and the show seems to give this trope a new and fascinating spin on a familiar plot.

In addition to working alongside Jane Levy, Lauren Graham joins a large cast that includes Skylar Astin, John Clarence Stewart, Andrew Leeds, Alex Newell, Mary Steenburgen, and Peter Gallagher, among a few others. The multi-faceted actress has made television her career, with shows like Gilmore Girls and Parenthood lasting for multiple seasons and drawing in a passionate fanbase who, to this day, still discuss the popular shows.

Earlier this year, famed producer Ryan Murphy, who has given us series such as Glee, Pose and American Horror Story, brought up the possibility of Lauren Graham joining his 9-1-1 series. As it turns out, the actress wound up landing her new gig on Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist instead, but that doesn't mean we won't ever see the two collaborate.

Lauren Graham has remained fairly busy, booking roles on shows like Curb Your Enthusiasm. In 2016, she reprised her role as one of the most famous TV moms, Lorelai Gilmore, in the Gilmore Girls revival on Netflix. She also voiced the character of Oxana Hauntley in the animated series Vampirina.

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist is set for a midseason premiere, likely in January 2020. For all of your TV needs, be sure to check our full 2019-2020 schedule of shows.

Warning: Major spoilers ahead for the pilot episode of Sea Oak. Feel free to head over to one of our other lovely articles if you haven't watched it yet!

Amazon's pilot season is, once again, upon us, and Glenn Close's potential new show, Sea Oak is a wild ride that definitely deserves a look. And, if you've ever wanted to watch the six time Academy Award nominee in a fit of undead rage, you're in luck. Of course, things don't start out quite that exciting for Close's character, Aunt Bernie. So, let's dig into what drove this sweet woman to, well, come back to (sorta) life.

In Sea Oak, which is named after the "dangerous crap hole" of an apartment complex that Aunt Bernie lives in with her nephew Cole (Jack Quaid), nieces Min (Jane Levy) and Jade (Rae Gray), and the infant of each niece, Close plays a lonely older woman for whom it's pretty clear that life didn't turn out that well. The episode starts with Bernie at confession because, as she tells the priest, she has "bad thoughts" about her shiftless young nieces who each have a child without being in committed relationships and seemingly refuse to work or contribute to the household in any real way. She tells the priest she just "wants things to be nice" and when he asks if they are, she says yes, even though Bernie is clearly lying about that.

And, because this isn't sad enough already, as Bernie leave church she somehow loses her footing and falls down the steps. She struggles to get up as her no good nieces sit in the car unaware of her predicament because they're arguing over answers to GED test questions. When Cole is finally notified of Bernie's fall while at his sketchy job as a peep show Egyptian pharaoh working for Mr. Frendt (James Van Der Beek), he picks her up to take her into work so she can explain her injury and take a sick day. Unfortunately, while waiting outside her boss' office at the drab-as-all-hell 99 cent store where she works, Bernie overhears him tell another employee that they'll be getting her cashier job while Bernie will be knocked down to greeter because she's "too nervous."

Bernie is clearly upset by the news, but she pushes down the feelings (like she's probably done pretty much every time she's been hurt in her life) and has Cole take her home. There's not much respite there, either, and while the family is trying to watch TV and have dinner shots ring out in their apartment complex, and Cole has to cover Bernie since she won't leave her favorite chair. The next day, Cole heads back to work, while Min and Jade take the kids to the mall, so Bernie can enjoy her off day. When they get back, however, the apartment has been ransacked and poor Bernie has died of a heart attack from the stress of a home invasion.

All of that is to say, Bernie's life was pretty shitty and it ended shitty, too. Except, of course, that this isn't where Sea Oak ends. This, my friends, is when the show kicks things into high gear, and the series that was about a nice, put-upon, lonely old woman who thought of her lazy nieces and relatively nice nephew as her own children turns into an insane story about a dead woman who decides that now's as good a time as any to have the life she always wanted.

You see, the night of Bernie's funeral, which was only attended by eight people (including the priest), Cole gets a call that there's a problem with her burial plot. When the family heads over there, they realize that the problem is that Bernie's grave and casket have been busted apart and she's gone (with the exception of one red shoe). And, because this show is batshit in the best way, when Cole gets home from work the next day he finds their door smashed in. Inside, he finds Jade and Min sitting stiffly on the couch and eyeballing him with terror. The reason, of course, is that undead Bernie is back and sitting in her favorite chair. And she's really, really angry.

It would seem that Bernie's rebirth is fueled by all the hurt and anger she's stuffed down over the years, and the woman is now in no mood to be trifled with. Bernie makes it clear to her family that she is now calling the shots because she never got to do anything in life and she's not going to allow her death to be the same. She tells Cole that the next time a woman offers him extra money to get naked during his peep-show duties he better take it, and tells her nieces they will start cooking because Bernie needs to look her best. Their undead aunt would like to finally get laid, you see, since the poor woman died a virgin. As Bernie says, in life she had "no babies and no lovers. Nothing went in and nothing came out."

This version of Aunt Bernie is, understandably, a huge and many-tiered shock for Cole, Min and Jade, but Bernie warns them not to tell anyone that she's back, saying that she'll kill them if they say a word and kill anyone they tell because she's "very freakin' strong now!" as she magically throws a lamp across the room with her mind. Bernie's determined to fix everything, including the three "stupid fuckers" who live with her, and by the end of the episode it's clear that some big changes are a-comin'.

Sea Oak promises to be a mighty wild ride as Bernie finally whips her family into shape and tries to get some of the happiness that alluded her in life, and I'm sure it won't be easy. Whatever Cole, Jude and Min do, at least they know now that calling Bernie a zombie will get them knocked upside the head with the nearest object before they have time to duck.

You can watch Sea Oak now on Amazon, and vote for it to become a full series right here.

While Joss Whedon is no doubt busy guiding Justice League to the finish line, the nerd icon is also busy tracking down the actress who will be his lead in the upcoming Batgirl. No names have risen as the frontrunner in any serious capacity, while reports claim that Whedon is looking for "someone new" to bring Barbara Gordon to the big screen. Well, new rumors are pointing to a list of actresses who are up for the part with a few of them listed as frontrunners, with names that include Elle Fanning, Jane Levy, and Naomi Scott.

I hope no one is on a low sodium diet, because you are going to want to take a few grains of salt with this one. A list of actresses who are under consideration to play the lead in Batgirl was posted to the Reddit sub-group DCEU Leaks. The leaker claims to be friends with the artist who was contracted to create concept art of the actresses as Batgirl, and then shared them with the leaker. The leak also claims that Warner Bros. wants to reveal the actress in a surprise announcement at San Diego Comic-Con next month, which makes sense but who knows? Apparently, these four actresses are the frontrunners for Batgirl.

Katherine Langford

According to the leak, Katherine Langford is the leading choice for Barbara Gordon. Langford recently made waves for the Netflix drama, 13 Reasons Why, where she played the lead role and whose suicide the show revolved around. Langford fits the relative unknown they are looking for, and would make an interesting choice for Batgirl. Following behind Langford are these three actresses:

Elle Fanning

She might not be the first name to pop up on some fans lists, but there's no question that Elle Fanning has built quite the resume for herself over the years. She's appeared in critical hits such as The Neon Demon, 20th Century Women, and the recent film festival favorite, The Beguiled. She also has the benefit of having worked with Ben Affleck AKA Batman in Live by Night.

Jane Levy

Jane Levy is a bit of a no-brainer for Batgirl and has been a top pick on a number of Batgirl wishlists. A living charm factory, Levy can handle Whedon humor thanks to her Suburgatory days, and she's proven her dramatic chops in horror movies like Evil Dead. She proved last summer that she can lead a smash hit too, after starring in the horror flick Don't Breathe.

Margaret Qualley

Finally, Margaret Qualley rounds out the list of frontrunners. Qualley is perhaps best known for her role as Jill Garvey on the amazing The Leftovers, so she can definitely handle the dramatic portions of Barbara Gordon's story. She can also be seen in The Nice Guys, Netflix's upcoming anime adaptation Death Note, and a bonkers Spike Lee directed commercial for KENZO World. She's also trained as a classical ballet dancer, so she's got the athleticism required down pat.

While these four actresses are listed as the top contenders, the leak does include a few other names that are up for the lead. The list includes Olivia Cooke (Bates Motel), Bella Throne (Shake It Up!), Emma Roberts (Scream Queens), Haley Lu Richardson (Split, Edge Of Seventeen), and Naomi Scott (Power Rangers). An interesting list of names, to say the least. It's got a few dark horses to be sure, but some -- like Naomi Scott for example -- make a lot of sense. None of these actresses are confirmed to be in running but we'll just have to wait and see what goes down.

The search for Batgirl will have plenty more updates, so keep checking in with CinemaBlend and we'll keep you updated with new information as soon as it becomes available. In the meantime, let us know in the comments what you think of this list and who's your favorite to play Batgirl.

We've seen the "kid and their monster" trope play out on the big screen so many times by now that there's very little new material to be mined from it. Ultimately, the approach to said genre is where the difference matters for most films, and despite losing some points for creativity or even coherence, Monster Trucks manages to find a way to make its sub-par product into a breezy, and dare I say enjoyable, time at the movies. If you're a fan of Free Willy and *batteries not included, then you'll probably have tons of room in your heart for Monster Trucks.

Tripp (Lucas Till) is having some issues in his life, with a father whose left the family high and dry, and a local sheriff / step-father (Barry Pepper) who he doesn't like. Throw that onto the pile of issues that include being one of the only seniors not to have a car, and a Biology tutor that watches him like a hawk (Jane Levy), and you can see why he enjoys smashing cars at the local junkyard so much. That is, until a mysterious creature winds up making its way into town, and changing Tripp's life forever. He's big, he's slimy, but he's got an adorable personality and a heart of gold. He's Creech, and he's about to turn one North Dakota town into a battlefield of comedy and friendship.

Despite the negatives that Monster Trucks finds itself taking on throughout its storytelling process, it winds up being an extremely fun film. Most of that fun comes thanks to the relationship between Till's Tripp and Creech, the monster in his truck. Lucas Till's performance with the CGI creature is rather astounding, as their rapport is one of the highlights of this movie. The other highlight would be Jane Levy's Meredith, a role that showcases the range that Levy's been putting to work throughout her years in the business. In fact, the biggest compliment this film can be paid is that it knows what type of film it is, but everyone from the director to the stars on the set play the film with earnest charm, rather than detached irony.

Of course, for every beat that works in Monster Trucks, there's a couple that fall flat. This mostly comes from the vastly underused Thomas Lennon and Rob Lowe, as an oil company stooge and the CEO whose running the show. While Lennon manages to make the best of his time in the film, serving as the ever important scientific mentor who turns good, Lowe's character could have easily been excised from the film's running time, and not have hurt the films' content. Also, a note to Hollywood: give Holt McCallany something more to do than be the vicious heavy in films like these. Or if you're going to make him your villain, let him off the chain a little more, as he barely gets to have fun playing the main antagonist.

As a traditional narrative, or even as a kids' film, Monster Trucks fails on multiple levels. However, as a throwback to 90's children's fare, as well as a generally fun and kind-spirited time at the movies, it succeeds admirably. One would have hoped that Paramount could have programmed this in a decent slot to try and make a hit out of it, but sadly the studio seems to have lost confidence in the film. Which is a damned shame, because Monster Trucks serves as a perfect family film to take your kids out to, after they've already seen Rogue One: A Star Wars Story or Sing, depending on how old they are, of course.

In a better world, Monster Trucks would be the sequel that gets a big budget, several pictures, and a team of screenwriters to punch up its stature, in order to become a cinematic universe of its own. Sadly, Transformers is the film that Paramount is keen on making into such a centerpiece, and it's a shame really. Films like Monster Trucks make us remember the movies we had so much fun with as a kid, and without a dependence on creepy or bathroom humor. It's safe for kids, but parents you might be pleasantly surprised how much you enjoy this movie.

Over the course of the last few years, Jane Levy has become known as one of Hollywood's most popular scream queens. Between her roles in the Evil Dead remake, as well as Don't Breathe, she has proven time and time again that she can do some amazing work in the horror genre. That is what makes her latest project so fascinating. Chris Wedge's Monster Trucks is a far cry from her typical horror roles, and the actress recently told me that her decision to do the movie originally stemmed from her love of Chris Wedge's work on Ice Age. Levy explained:

As far as career-related decisions go, that is definitely a great reason to sign on for a particular movie. Monster Trucks is Chris Wedge's first genuine live-action film, and as such, the actress jumped at the opportunity to finally work with the man who played a vital role in her childhood. We cannot confirm that she rode scooters around the set and quoted Ice Age lines with her middle school friends while working on Monster Trucks, but we have a feeling that she would've if she could've.

It also seems worth pointing out that a movie like Monster Trucks simply seems like a ton of fun. It's the story of two high school students (Lucas Till and Jane Levy) who discover a subterranean creature who can power a truck. What's not to love about that premise? Chris Wedge himself has addressed the story of the film and urged audiences not to read too deeply into the overarching narrative. The film is a story designed to invoke a childlike sense of wonder, and harken back the feeling of literally playing with monster trucks as a kid. Considering the amount of nostalgia that Jane Levy went into the production of the film with, that thematic idea probably felt right up her alley from the very beginning.

CinemaBlend will bring you all of the latest and greatest updates related to the upcoming release of Monster Trucks as more information about the project is made available to us. The live-action/animation hybrid is slated to hit theaters tomorrow on January 13. Stay tuned for more details!

Check out the official trailer for Monster Trucks on the next page for an even better look at Jane Levy and Lucas Till in Chris Wedge's upcoming monster adventure!

Jane Levy is no stranger to the realm of monsters. The 27-year-old actress has squared off against demons, and blind madmen, but she will soon also delve into a more cute world of silver screen creatures with the release of Paramount's Monster Trucks. The actress has a clear affinity for all things scary, creepy, and controversial, but arguably no moment from her entire filmography has become more contentious than Don't Breathe's "turkey baster" scene. I recently had the opportunity to talk to Ms. Levy about the scene, and she explained that she's still very conflicted about it. The actress said:

As those of you who have seen Don't Breathe likely remember, the scene in question involves the Blind Man (Stephen Lang) tying up Jane Levy's Rocky in his basement and attempting to impregnate her with a turkey baster. That's already scary enough, but the disturbing promise follows that he will keep her chained in his basement until she gives birth to the child, and then let her go after nine months -- although he never actually reveals whether or not there's truth to his words. Levy plays the scene beautifully in the movie, but she apparently understands why it upset certain people when the film debuted. The scene still upsets her. The prevalence of rape as a storytelling device (particularly in horror films) has become a phenomenon that hasn't gone unnoticed, and she agrees with the notion that the scene has exploitive qualities that arguably go too far for the sake of a "cheap" scare.

Jane Levy ultimately defended the scene as it's portrayed in the movie by citing the fact that it does not feature an overt depiction of rape. The fact that most of the threat is implied rather than explicitly shown kept it from going too far over the edge. However, she tempered her defense with the acknowledgment that she's still not entirely comfortable with what the nature of the scene and its greater implications. Levy elaborated:

What did you think of Don't Breathe's infamous turkey baster scene? Did it cross a line, or did it work well within the context of the movie? Let us know what you think in the comments section below!

Make sure to check out Jane Levy in Monster Trucks this weekend when the live-action/animation hybrid hits theaters on January 13.

SPOILER ALERT: The following article contains major spoilers for Don't Breathe. If you have not yet seen the film, please save this page for later and click away to another one of our wonderful articles!

There are definitely some mixed emotions on hand at the end of director Fede Alvarez's Don't Breathe, but it is mostly a happy ending. It's true that Stephen Lang's The Blind Man is still left alive, but at least Jane Levy's Rocky does manage to escape and execute her plans to leave her terrible home life. It's a fitting ending that actually does a great job of setting up a sequel -- but it wasn't always going to be that way. In fact, before it was changed in early drafts, the film was originally going to have a horrifically dark ending that saw Rocky chained up in The Blind Man's basement and turned into his new surrogate.

Earlier this month, I had the tremendous pleasure of joining a small group of journalists sitting down with Fede Alvarez, screenwriter Rodo Sayagues and producer Sam Raimi during a special lunch promoting the upcoming Blu-ray and DVD release of Don't Breathe, and it was early in the conversation that we discussed the movie's ending. The screenwriter was asked specifically about the final moments, and Sayagues explained that he and Alvarez originally planned a much, much darker conclusion for the hit horror flick. Said the screenwriter,

Pretty horrible, right? Rather than joining her daughter and leaving for California to start a better life, Rocky would instead suffer the same terrible fate of the girl who accidentally killed The Blind Man's daughter -- and presumably not ultimately survive the ordeal. Given how much we saw her go through in Don't Breathe, this would have been a rather devastating place to leave the story... and that's what led Fede Alvarez and Rodo Sayagues to change it.

While the filmmakers didn't mention exactly when it was that they decided to change the ending of Don't Breathe, they did explain why they did. It seems that they grew attached to Rcoky as a character, and simply felt that it wouldn't have been satisfying for the audience to see her trapped in the Blind Man's clutches. Said Sayagues,

Do you think that Fede Alvarez and Rodo Sayagues made the right call changing the end of Don't Breathe, or do you think the really hardcore depressing ending would have been fitting for the horror flick? Hit the comments section below with your thoughts, and pick up a copy of the summer 2016 hit film on Blu-ray and DVD on November 29th.

Warning: Spoilers for Don't Breathe are in play. If you haven't seen the film yet, bookmark this page, and come back after you've seen the movie. Trust us, it's worth it.

Believe it or not, Don't Breathe has generated $88.4 million off of a $9.9 million budget, in a mere 18 days. While that's not exactly Suicide Squad numbers, it's another example of a micro-budget thriller making such a profit that a studio like Sony would be seen as foolish not to cash in and slate Don't Breathe 2 into their upcoming production slate. I, however, believe in the completely opposite viewpoint, and think that making Don't Breathe 2 doesn't really need to happen at all. Though if it does, for some odd and money related reason, it needs to be of a certain blueprint to remain as clever as the first film.

"So why not make a sequel to Don't Breathe," you may be asking yourself. Well, the simplest and most important reason is that a sequel to the misadventures of Rocky and The Blind Man would ruin all that was special about the first film's events. The drama of Fede Alvarez's certified summer hit is self-contained, with the conflict easily set up, engaged in, and drawn to a close. Rocky wants to score a whole bunch of money to get out of town, she goes through Hell to get it, and in the end escapes with her sister to California.

While the film does end with The Blind Man alive, it's highly doubtful he'll be coming after Rocky, unless he somehow pulls a Jaws: The Revenge and makes his way to California to stalk her and her younger sibling. Her happy ending has been earned, and her story need not be revisited, if only because it would require a huge suspension of disbelief to even make a lick of sense. However, if Sony's really keen on keeping Stephen Lang's Blind Man in the picture, there are ways it can be done without sacrificing that first film.

The Blind Man's history is the stuff of legend, and even his own personal backstory could be explored in a spin-off film. His first days as a blind man, and the slow chronicle into madness could be shown on screen, ending with his daughter's untimely death and his quest for vengeance. Or, perhaps, several other gangs of hoods have tried, and failed, to knock him over in the past. After all, Money and his underworld contact couldn't be the only people who knew about The Blind Man's fortune. If a follow-up to Don't Breathe is to be had, it's better to ditch the title and focus on Lang's evil bad ass.

Having said that, the argument still circles back to the plain spoken fact that we really don't need a Don't Breathe sequel. So many other properties become franchised, and a character that was once imposing either becomes a ridiculous joke or becomes a weaker, more sympathetic version of themselves. Delving into The Blind Man's past any further would just demystify him, and in turn take away what scared us about him in the first place. After Fede Alvarez set the character up so perfectly as a methodical madman who wants nothing more than twisted revenge at the end of a turkey baster, anything else would really ruin that deadly serious image.

We shouldn't want to sympathize with The Blind Man, nor should we want to see him become a weaker copy of his former self by fighting off another group of punks who are looking for a quick score. Just as Don't Breathe was a chance to let an original thriller flourish in a market of sequels, adaptations, and re-imagined concepts, we now have a chance to show that the traditional way isn't always the right way. If anything, Sony should be giving Fede Alvarez, Jane Levy, and Stephen Lang blank checks and all of the assistance in the world to come up with an original project that's just as lean and mean as Don't Breathe was. The studio can keep the team together, but they really give their players a new field to play on.

Time will tell if this warning is heeded, but for now, we'll just enjoy the fact that Don't Breathe has made so much out of so little, and proven once again that originality can be rewarded. If you haven't gotten to experience a taste of the magic yourself, then you can still see Don't Breathe, as it's in theaters now.

After a lot of hand-wringing, the Evil Dead remake turned out to be much ado about nothing. Most people were fine with it, some hated it with a passion, and the mainstream generally thought it was ok. For a low budget horror film, it did pretty great business, snaring $97 million worldwide. So we'd expect a new Evil Dead 2, right?

Wrong, says Jane Levy, who tells Bloody Disgusting that there are currently no plans for Evil Dead 2.

Levy, the "final girl" of the remake, goes on to say she suspects Sam Raimi and company like messing with the fans regarding Evil Dead. So any wildly-ambitious Evil Dead plans to cross Levy's character over with Bruce Campbell's Ash from the original trilogy are probably complete poppycock. Though Raimi is indeed working on a new television series with Campbell, that much is true: the question is, even given Raimi and Campbell's shared television experience, if there's a market for such a thing. Army Of Darkness was a long time ago.

The legacy of Evil Dead may already be written for Raimi, who seemed to have moved on from the trilogy after the completion of The Evil Dead, Evil Dead 2: Dead By Dawn and Captain Supermarket*. He's since graduated not only to bigger fare but also less horror-centric: among Raimi's filmography, you'll find a western (The Quick And The Dead), a sports film (For Love Of The Game), a sobering drama (A Simple Plan) and an effects-heavy kids' film (Oz, The Great And Powerful). His dips back into horror (Drag Me To Hell, Spider-Man 3) feel more obligatory than anything else. Founding Ghost House Productions at Sony seemed less about getting great horror out to the public and more about finding the best way to make a decent profit in Hollywood. The quality of several Ghost House productions confirm that.

The other matter to consider is that Evil Dead 2: Dead By Dawn is such a massive step up from the original in several ways, and it would be even more overwhelming a task for Fede Alvarez or any other director. This isn't like Halloween II, where Rob Zombie was sequelizing his own film but also making a new version of 1981's not-a-classic sequel of the same name. Evil Dead 2 would have to be a quantum leap from the first one in complete mayhem, comic madness, and technical wizardry, and maybe that's just too high a bar. Evil Dead was remade. Evil Dead 2 remains untouchable. *Actual Japanese title for Army Of Darkness.

Hollywood is not always a place where the behavior is explainable, and Paramount Animation’s upcoming live action/CGI mash-up Monster Trucks is but one example of that madness. It’s not the head-shakingly simple subject matter I mean, but the fact that the pic already has a May 29, 2015 release date, even though it has yet to become officially greenlit. As such, the film can’t actually start casting its leads just yet, but if it could, the studio is looking at X-Men: First Class actor Lucas Till and Suburgatory’s Jane Levy to star. Can these young actors pull off a $100 million flick?

According to TheWrap, Paramount apparently isn’t happy with delaying the greenlight of one Monster Trucks film, but they’re already hoping this thing will turn into a franchise. It’s no surprise that they’ve got the Transformers series on their brains, as those are ridiculously lucrative movies, but they’re also hoping that it will have the heart of The Goonies. Way to keep your goals reasonable, guys.

Should they end up taking the roles, Till would play a character who is only described as a bad boy with a good heart, while Levy’s role is compared to what Tina Fey might have been like in high school. I’m really hoping both of these are human characters, as those would be inane descriptions for talking vehicles. Of course, they’re not much better when applied to real people, but I get that it’s early days and they can’t give a lot away just yet.

By the by, Till wasn’t the first to be looked at for this role. Paramount was also feeling out Prisoners’ Dylan Minnette and The Kings of Summer’s Nick Robinson. But Minnette signed up for Goosebumps and Robinson landed a part in Jurassic World, so Till it is, at least until he joins Star Wars: Episode VII or something.

Monster Trucks will be directed by Ice Age’s Chris Wedge, whose last film, Epic, sadly didn’t live up to its name. He’ll be working with a screenplay from writing partners Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger, who are responsible for Monsters vs. Aliens, as well as the sequels to Alvin and the Chipmunks and Kung Fu Panda. These three guys could make a really funny movie, though I wish that monster trucks weren’t involved.

Till has a line of films coming out in the next year or so, including Bryan Singer’s X-Men: Days of Future Past, where he’ll reprise the role of Havok. He’ll also be in a handful of thrillers like X-Men screenwriter David Hayter’s horror-iffic debut Wolves, Oliver Blackburn’s outcast horror Random, Gary Entin’s Sins of Our Youth and Derick Martini’s The Curse of Downers Grove, which was written by novelist Bret Easton Ellis.

Levy, who starred in last year’s Evil Dead remake, is still going strong as Tessa Altman four seasons into Suburgatory, with upcoming roles in the suicide-themed college drama About Alex and G. J. Echternkamp’s comedy Frank and Cindy.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to drive over a bunch of model cars while a giant fire-breathing robot walks around the yard.

The Black List, the annually published list of the most popular unproduced screenplays in Hollywood, appears to have produced a new success story. Good Kids, the script by newcomer Chris McCoy that was part of the 2011 rankings, is starting to get some legs and has added a couple stars to play two of the movie's the lead roles. Deadline has learned that Nicholas Braun and Jane Levy have signed on for the film and that McCoy is now attached to helm - which will make it his feature directorial debut.

Good Kids is actually one of three scripts that McCoy has landed on The Black List, but as of yet none of them have actually been turned into films (in 2007 he landed a screenplay called Get Back and in 2009 it was one titled Good Looking). There aren't too many plot details available about Good Kids, but it's reported that the story centers on four "overachieving" recent high school graduates living on Cape Cod. Wanting to do something completely different and change their lives up a bit, they decide to spend the summer reinventing themselves while the hordes of tourists come to town. Chris and Paul Weitz and Andrew Miano are producing the new movie through their Depth of Field label and they are currently looking for financing.

McCoy found himself featured in hundreds of headlines last year when he was originally hired to pen the script for Marvel Studios' Guardians of the Galaxy. Ultimately, however, writer/director James Gunn was hired to handle the project and worked on his own draft of the movie. Since then he sold his travel dramedy script Year Abroad, and, according to the most recent report, both Get Back and Good Looking are in the works as well. It may not be long before Hollywood gets to know the name Chris McCoy very well.

Following a big 2012 that included movies like The Watch and The Perks of Being A Wallflower, Nicholas Braun has had a pretty quiet 2013 thus far but has some stuff coming. He's completed work on the comedy Get A Job with Bryan Cranston, Anna Kendrick, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse, and is currently filming the sci-fi/horror comedy The Kitchen Sink. Levy, meanwhile, is best known for her starring role on the ABC series Suburgatory, but made a name for herself on the big screen earlier this year with Evil Dead.

To get an idea of what we can expect from McCoy, watch the trailer below, which is for a short film he co-wrote and co-directed called The Bicycle.

While I won’t go into full detail here, you should know that Jane Levy does some horrible, horrible things in the upcoming Evil Dead. If you’ve read my review of the film from South by Southwest or at least heard the buzz about it from its premiere, you know that the film is absolutely insane, hellish, gory fun, and the secret to it all is the Suburgatory star. And despite Bruce Campbell’s insistence that Evil Dead movies are extremely hard to make, that didn’t stop Levy from having fun.

The day after the Evil Dead screening at SXSW I had the pleasure of quickly chatting with the actress about her starring role. Read on below to learn about Levy’s great time playing a demonic psycho, how she decided to differentiate her character, Mia, from her role on her ABC sitcom, and why director Fede Alvarez says that nobody can take punishment quite like her.

SPOILER WARNING: Evil Dead is most definitely a movie that you have to see in order to get the full effect, however, if you’d prefer to go in knowing as little about the movie as possible know that there is some spoiler content in the interview below. The section is clearly marked, so feel free to read on, but scroll carefully!

It’s always great to meet a fellow red head…

I’m a phony. But I’m strawberry blond.

Kind of on that note, did you have input into the look of your character and just actually, in general, how much did you get to collaborate on this character?

Yeah, I really wanted not to have red hair.

Why?

Well, I just wanted to do something very far from what I spend most of the year doing, working on ABC’s Suburgatory. And I play the quirky 16-year-old red-headed quip master. And it’s a new project and totally different horror film, so I wanted to look different and I asked them to dye my hair dark and I asked them to make it longer and it was sort of a fight - that I won.

And just in terms of adding to the character, Mia, what kind of stuff did you work with Fede on or even Sam or Rob or Bruce?

We did a lot of talking. It’s funny. It was a year ago and I’m having a hard time remembering some of the actual acting rehearsals, because there isn’t that many scenes in the movie, actual dialogue scenes. I think there’s a couple in the first 25 minutes and then from there on it’s screaming and swearing and bleeding.

Actually, on that note, last night, when Fede Alvarez was introducing the screening, he said, “Nobody can take punishment quite like Jane Levy.” What exactly did he mean by that? Was it that rough?

Well, it might look like everybody was tortured in this movie...

Yeah, I kind of got that sense [laughs].

But, most everyone was only in demon makeup for maybe a week, and I was in demon makeup, I think we counted, 37 days, of the shoot.

SPOILERS AHEAD!

How long was the makeup process?

It was a six hour process and also I swim through that swamp, I’m soaking wet the whole movie, the whole blood rain scene was just me for two weeks outside in the middle of winter under blood rain. I got a horrible ear infection because of the blood. I was buried alive three different ways. I had tubes stuck down my throat so I could projectile vomit. While I was buried alive, I had a plastic bag tied around my neck while blood was squirted all over my face. I had to run through those thickets. Some of that was real. I had scratches everywhere. I had to fall down the hill. I had to... What else is there?? So, everyone had their moment, but for me, it was long. Oh, I to cut my tongue in half, in that cellar and I wasn’t wearing shoes and I was soaking wet and I had to lick that girl’s lip and oh, when I blood kissed her, I had a tube of blood in my mouth, like a huge thing that was shooting in her face.

NO MORE SPOILERS! HEAD TO THE NEXT PAGE!

You were just up for this, all the way? You never went for a stunt double or anything like that?

No, my stunt double did a lot of work. She’s really great. Crystal deserves so much credit, but I did do...

As much as you could.

And I actually could, this is totally bragging but, there’s this scene in the movie where I pull that shotgun up and I’m holding it and I had to be able to hold the shotgun for a long time because the shot follows all the way up and I have to be holding it straight and it’s sort of heavy and I could hold the shotgun longer than my stunt double.

There you go!

But she really is amazing. She’s out in that swamp and there was a lot of us dressed as Mia, because there was so many of her and there was so much time as that person and so much time in the makeup chair that they needed to have doubles.

One of the things that I love about the Evil Dead franchise in general is just the fact that it’s able to mix this great sense of horror with comedy. How did that effect the atmosphere on set?

It’s scary, but it’s also fun. The hardest scenes were the emotional ones and also the physically taxing stuff, but being evil was really fun. I just watched b-roll and it reminded me and I’m peeking my head out of the cellar and I’m saying horrible things, like, “Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck...” and then I break into laughter and I’m giggling like a little girl and I’m like, “Was that good?” and then I’m like, “What should we do now?” and he just goes, “Try this,” and so then I’m doing some nasty thing with my mouth where I’m suction cupping the back of my lip with my tongue and doing some perverse face and then I giggle some more and so it was really fun to be a psycho.

How much time did you actually get to spend with Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell?

I never met Sam Raimi in my whole life. He has made... He was the final decision maker for everything and he has been behind the scenes, watching the dailies. He was very much involved, but he works directly with Fede and Bruce [Campbell] and Rob [Tappert]. He was busy working on Oz, I think and other various projects and I can’t wait for the day when I get to shake his hand.

For more of our SXSW 2013 coverage, click HERE.

It's coming. The trailer for the already divisive Evil Dead reboot debuts tomorrow. And to give you just a taste of what producers Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell have in store, Sony Pictures has unveiled a teaser for the trailer. The clip below not only gives you a few peeks at the gruesome reboot helmed by Fede Alvarez and starring Jane Levy, but also offers some of the highlights of the recent Evil Dead New York Comic Con Panel.

Levy's "I swear to God, I'm so scared right now," is her response to the trailer, which she witnessed for the first time with the assembled crowd of feverish horror fanatics. I sat in a lot of panels in the IGN Theater at this year's NY Comic Con, but The Evil Dead's was the best by far. Cult horror icon Bruce Campbell swaggered on stage with full awareness he owns the room, if not the entirety of the cosplay enthusiast-packed Javits Center. And like the B-movie badass he is, he laid it down: You will love this movie.

Alvarez's explanation on why he took the job (basically, if you love horror, you do whatever Sam Raimi asks) comes off as the challenge he believed it to be. He told the crowd he loved Evil Dead growing up, and his devotion shows even in the little snippets above. As the trailer played at Comic Con, the audience screamed and bucked at the gore—freshly horrendous yet familiar—that unrolled on screen. Myself, I clutched my face in horror at one particularly in your face scene of self-mutilation. And tomorrow—you will all get to see what we saw and what we cheered for wildly.

Evil Dead emerges April 12th, 2013.

Just yesterday the remake of The Evil Dead, produced by Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell, took a major step forward. It was officially announced that Shiloh Fernandez, best known for his role in last year's Red Riding Hood, had signed on to play the male lead in the film.The thing is, the real main character in the new movie isn't a man: it's a woman. Early in January it was reported that Lily Collins would be playing the title's true star, however, scheduling issues got in the way and she wasn't able to do it. Today they may have found her replacement.

According to Deadline, Jane Levy is now in talks to play the central heroine in The Evil Dead. While the actresses film experience is fairly limited - her first feature just premiered at the Sundance Film Festival last week - she has been gaining steam on the small screen, doing a five episode stint as Mandy Milkovich on Showtime's Shameless and starring in the ABC comedy Suburgatory. She also recently completed work on the Halloween laugher Fun Size, which is due out later this October. The Evil Dead is being written and directed by Fede Alvarez (Diablo Cody did some work on the script as well), the script follows a group of young adults who take a trip into the woods to help their friend who has recently suffered a drug overdose. In the cabin they find The Book of the Dead and accidentally unleash an ancient evil into the forest. Should she sign on, Levy will play Mia, who is said to be the stand-in for Bruce Campbell's Ashley J. Williams in the remake.

While I haven't seen any of Levy's work, it does seem like her wheelhouse thus far in her career has been comedy, so this should be an interesting turn for her (though Raimi's original trilogy wasn't completely without laughs either). So what do you think of the casting? Are you happy Levy might play the lead in the remake? Do you at least think it's a better choice than Lily Collins? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.