
Two on-the-bubble NBC shows have officially been given the order for new seasons. The critical favorite yet ratings challenged drama Parenthood has been renewed for a 15-episode fourth season (per TV Line). Showrunner Jason Katims is no stranger to ratings issues despite favorable reviews, as he led the stellar Friday Night Lights through five seasons of “will it be renewed?” drama. I’m a fan of the ensemble and tone of Parenthood, but Katims will most likely have his hands full next season as his medical pilot County is said to be close to a pick up. That show will star Jason Ritter, who led the doomed The Event and has been a frequent guest star on Parenthood.
Hit the jump for news regarding renewals for The Office and a final season for 30 Rock, as well as speculation about the fate of Community and Parks and Recreation. [Update: The Office hasn't officially been renewed yet, but with deals almost done for the main cast members a renewal is expected]

Since Steve Carell left The Office, the happenings on the show have been anything but business as usual. Robert California (James Spader) stopped by to run things for a time before leaving the Scranton branch in the capable, albeit self-conscious, hands of Andy Bernard (Ed Helms). There has been recent talk of Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson) leaving to retire to the beet farm bed-and-breakfast in a proposed spin-off. That’s not to mention the expanding film careers of Jenna Fischer, John Krasinski and Craig Robinson, as well as Wilson and Helms. As neither the cast members nor the show itself have been officially been confirmed to return, things are a bit up in the air at the moment. Helms talked a bit about the future of The Office in this recent interview with Steve. Hit the jump for more on this possible series reboot.

All’s well that end’s well. Earlier today Warner Bros. announced a May 2013 release date for The Hangover Part III, and now a press release has been sent out that confirms filming on the conclusion to Todd Phillips’ trilogy is targeted to start this September. Phillips has been talking up the concluding chapter since The Hangover Part II came out, and last we heard stars Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis and Ed Helms were poised for a major salary increase to reprise their roles. Everyone is now set to return in order to close out the trilogy, and Phillips promises fans will be surprised by their “fitting conclusion to our three-part opera of mayhem, despair and bad decisions.” I sincerely hope that means deviating from the first film’s formula that was directly copied in the sequel.
Phillips co-wrote the script with The Hangover Part II co-writer Craig Mazin and will return to the director’s chair a final time. The Hangover Part III is slated to open on May 24th, 2013. Hit the jump to read the full press release.

Opening this weekend, in limited release, is writer/directors Jay and Mark Duplass (Cyrus) Jeff Who Lives at Home. Starring Jason Segel (The Muppets) and Ed Helms (The Hangover) as two brothers, with Susan Sarandon (Thelma & Louise) as their mother, Jeff Who Lives at Home follows Jeff (Segel) as he searches for meaning in his life and inadvertently helps his brother, Pat (Helms) discover a truth of his own. For more on the very funny film, here’s three clips, twenty images, the trailer, and my Toronto Film Festival interview with the Duplass Brothers.
During my recent interview with Ed Helms, we talked about got he got involved in the project, how the movie was mostly shot in order, the way the cast improvised on set, M.Night Shyamalan‘s Signs (which plays a big part in the film), deleted scenes, and more. In addition, Helms also talked about whether our interview for The Lorax helped with the box office, Ron Swanson, his favorite TV shows, The Hangover 3, and what it’s like to be in the “home stretch” of the series run of The Office. Hit the jump to watch.

New Line has been prepping a new entry in the Vacation franchise for quite a while now, but the project finally picked up steam when Horrible Bosses writers John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein were pegged to write the script. This past February, we learned that not only had Daley and Goldstein written the script, but now the duo are set to direct the project. The film is imagined as a sequel/reboot to the classic series and will center on an adult version of Rusty Griswold now dealing with a family of his own.
Rumors swirled recently that Ed Helms may possibly be taking on the lead role in the project, but when Steve spoke to the actor at the press day for his upcoming dramedy Jeff Who Lives at Home, he responded, “I don’t know where those rumors bubbled up from.” Hit the jump for more.

From writers/directors Jay and Mark Duplass (Cyrus) comes Jeff Who Lives at Home, a coming of age comedy for two men who are already well beyond their youth. Starring Jason Segel (The Muppets) and Ed Helms (The Hangover) as two brothers, with Susan Sarandon (Thelma & Louise) as their mother, Jeff Who Lives at Home follows Jeff (Segel) as he searches for meaning in his life and inadvertently helps his brother, Pat (Helms) discover a truth of his own. We have three clips from the film that highlight the very funny rapport between Helms and his onscreen wife Judy Greer, a fairly awkward phone conversation between Segel and Sarandon, and the giant Segel uncomfortably riding in a tiny Porche. I was already pretty sold on the dramatic stuff from the trailers, but these clips focus on the lighter side of things and the jokes land solidly, so hopefully that carries over through the entirety of the movie. Jeff Who Lives at Home opens March 16th. Hit the jump to check out the clips.

With the 84th Annual Academy Awards nearly one week into our past, I’d be interested in hearing from our readers what the one genuine surprise of the night was for them. For me, it was Meryl Streep’s Best Actress win. Now, don’t get me wrong, Streep is obviously an incredible actress who requires zero justification from a movie blogger. It’s just that, of all the award categories in question, I genuinely expected Viola Davis to win Best Actress. So, if you feel so inclined, sound off in the comments section below about your biggest surprise win/loss of the night. Sarcasm, including “your mom” responses, is encouraged.
In the bag of goodies that is this week’s “Top 5″ you’ll find the new trailer and a ton of new images from The Avengers, a new television spot for G.I. Joe: Retaliation, a Prometheus viral video that reassures my suspicions that Guy Pearce could indeed take over the planet if he wanted to, interviews for The Lorax with Danny Devito, Ed Helms, and more, and all of our coverage from the set of Jason Segel and Emily Blunt‘s The Five-Year Engagement. A brief recap and link to each follows after the jump.

Paramount has released a batch of new images from the upcoming dramedy Jeff, Who Lives At Home. Written and directed by Jay and Mark Duplass, the film stars Jason Segel as an adult still living with his mother who, through a series of comedic and unexpected events, crosses paths with his family in the strangest of locations and circumstances. While the logline sounds a bit vague, the trailer for the film is excellent. Segel has shown shades of his dramatic talent in Forgetting Sarah Marshall and How I Met Your Mother, but it looks as though he’ll really get a chance to shine in Jeff, Who Lives at Home. You can read Matt’s review of the film here.
Hit the jump to check out the images. The film also stars Ed Helms, Judy Greer, and Susan Sarandon. Jeff, Who Lives at Home opens on March 16th.

From the creators of Despicable Me comes the animated feature film adaptation of Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax, a beloved cautionary tale of environmental conservation wrapped up in a colorful children’s story. The 3D-CG animated adaptation is an adventure that follows the journey of idealistic 12-year-old Ted (voiced by Zac Efron) while he searches for a real Truffula Tree for Audrey (voiced by Taylor Swift), in order to win the affection of the girl of his dreams. To find one, he must learn the story of the Lorax (voiced by Danny DeVito) from the enigmatic and bitter old hermit, known as the Once-ler (voiced by Ed Helms), who let the temptation of greed and success get the better of him. For more on the film, here’s some images, trailers, 8 clips from the movie, and the Super Bowl spot.
At the recent Los Angeles press day, I was able to speak with Ed Helms for our partners at Omelete. During the interview, Helms talked about how he got involved in The Lorax, how his character changed during the recording process, his favorite movie, actor and director, what’s up with The Hangover 3, is he ever going to release a CD, and do more people want to talk about The Office, The Hangover, or Walk Hard. Hit the jump to watch.

Dr. Seuss wasn’t afraid to provide serious messages in his books. Not everything he wrote was Green Eggs and Ham (which, in all fairness, stresses the importance of trying new things). Oh, the Places You’ll Go! is a moving story that could be read to anyone at any age and still be meaningful. The Lorax didn’t have the joy and humor of his other books but instead left its readers with a poignant message and dire warning. Illumination Entertainment’s big 3D CGI-animated adaptation could care less about either. The Lorax gives a begrudging nod towards environmentalism, a halfhearted tip of the hat to Dr. Seuss, and then pours all of its energy into being hip and funny but succeeded at neither.

Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax, the beloved children’s story that’s also its author’s favorite work, opens in theaters on March 2nd. To promote the film’s release, Collider got to participate in the press junket and sit down with actor Ed Helms, who lends his voice to the iconic role of the Once-ler, the old and bitter hermit whose greed got the better of him.
While we will run what he had to say about the film closer to its release date, we did want to share what he had to say about his next feature film, Jeff Who Lives at Home (due out in theaters on March 16th), which he is clearly very proud of, the current status of The Hangover 3, and how much fun he’s been having as the office manager on the NBC comedy series The Office. Check out what he had to say after the jump:

From the creators of Despicable Me comes the animated feature film adaptation of Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax, a beloved cautionary tale of environmental conservation wrapped up in a colorful children’s story. We’ve previously brought you images, trailers and even a Super Bowl ad spot for Chris Renaud and Kyle Balda’s The Lorax, which stars Zac Efron, Taylor Swift, Ed Helms, Betty White and Danny DeVito. Now we have eight clips from the movie, which will mark Universal’s third Dr. Seuss feature after How the Grinch Stole Christmas and The Cat in the Hat. On what would have been the author’s 108th birthday, The Lorax will land in theaters on March 2nd. Hit the jump to check out the clips.

A trailer is now available for High Road, the fully-improvised comedy by director Matt Walsh (The Hangover). Cast with a ridiculous number of improv comedians at all different levels of fame, High Road stars relative unknowns in the principal roles. James F. Pumphrey (Players) is Fitz, a well-meaning drug-dealer who hits the road to escape his problems and encounters some strange characters along the way. The strong supporting cast features Ed Helms, Rob Riggle, Horatio Sans, Kyle Gass, Abby Elliott, Lizzy Caplan and Zach Woods. While it plays like a mash-up of Harold and Kumar and Pineapple Express, I can’t quite figure out if it’s destined to be a cult classic or a simple misfire. Hit the jump to check out the trailer for High Road.

Universal has released new images from the 3D CGI adaptation of Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax. Some of the images show the actors doing their voice recordings. If you couldn’t imagine what Zac Efron would look like if he were in a sound booth and speaking into a microphone, your mind is about to be blown. There’s also an image of the Lorax (voiced by Danny DeVito) playing cards with woodland creatures instead of giving dire environmental warnings. There’s no time for games when the environment is on the line, Lorax.
Hit the jump to check out the images. The film also features the voices of Ed Helms, Taylor Swift, Rob Riggle, and Betty White. Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax opens March 2nd in 3D.

It appears The Hangover 3 is inevitable. Shortly after the release of the disappointing The Hangover Part II, director Todd Phillips promised a second sequel that would complete the trilogy. Now, after a long negotiation period, the film’s stars Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, and Zach Galifianakis are close to landing a major pay raise to reprise their roles. The trio are apparently asking for $15 million each (against backend), which is a steep increase from the $5 million each (plus backend) for The Hangover Part II, and under $1 million they received for the first film in the comedy franchise. Hit the jump for more, including how soon The Hangover 3 may hit theaters.
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