An original adaptation of the Academy Award-winning feature film, the FX drama series Fargo features an all-new crime story.  Lorne Malvo (Billy Bob Thornton) is a ruthless and mysterious man who turns the life of small town insurance salesman Lester Nygaard (Martin Freeman) upside down, in a way that he never could have imagined.  From executive producer/writer Noah Hawley, the show also stars Bob Odenkirk, Colin Hanks, Allison Tolman, Oliver Platt, Keith Carradine, Kate Walsh, Glenn Howerton, Adam Goldberg and Joey King.

During this recent interview to promote the show’s April 15^th premiere, actor Billy Bob Thornton talked about finding this character, not wanting to know Malvo’s backstory, playing menace, being both scary and likable, his character’s look, the freedom in television, why he wasn’t worried about taking on such a classic movie, why he rarely ever changed anything in the scripts, how his previous working relationship with the Coen brothers work to his advantage on this, how much the Calgary weather affect the shoot, and why this role was just so much fun.  Check out what he has to say after the jump. 

FX has released a new featurette for its upcoming limited event series Fargo.  The TV series is an adaptation of the Coen brothers film of the same name, but many have been curious to see how different (and how similar) the show is to the movie—which, to put it simply, is a masterpiece.  This new featurette does a good job of explaining the distinction between the two, as the cast and producers note that while the show has new characters and a new story, it’s very much in the spirit of the movie.  Fargo is one of my favorite films of all time so I was pretty wary of FX’s spin on the material, but everything we’ve seen thus far has been genuinely promising, and the close-ended nature of the miniseries format allows them to essentially create a 10-hour movie.

Hit the jump to watch the featurette.  The show stars Billy Bob Thornton, Martin Freeman, Allison Tolman, Colin Hanks, Bob Odenkirk, Kate Walsh, Adam Goldberg, Oliver Platt, Glenn Howerton, Jordan Peele, Keegan-Michael Key, Joey King, and Julie Ann Emery.  Fargo premieres on FX April 15th.

FX has released a new trailer for their upcoming 10-episode limited series, Fargo.  Based on the classic Coen Brothers‘ film of the same name, the series isn’t a straight adaptation, but rather a story that takes place in the same world and with a similar tone.  The plot centers on “a drifter named Lorne Malvo (Billy Bob Thornton), who arrives in small-town Minnesota and influences the population with his malice and violence, including put-upon insurance salesman Lester Nygaard (Martin Freeman).”  As you can see from the trailer, Lester is reminiscent of William H. Macy‘s Jerry Lundegaard and Allison Tolman‘s cop could be along the lines of Frances McDormand‘s Marge Gunderson.  However it lines up, the dark comedy seems very much alive (the Coens are executive producers), and this is definitely one of my must-see series of the spring.

Hit the jump to check out the trailer.  The series also stars Colin Hanks, Bob Odenkirk, Kate Walsh, Adam Goldberg, Oliver Platt, Glenn Howerton, Jordan Peele, Keegan-Michael Key, Joey King, and Julie Ann Emery.  Fargo premiers April 15th.

Our first look at the new FX limited series Fargo comes by way of this thirty-second teaser trailer.  It features a look at Billy Bob Thornton’s character in the frozen North, The Ames Brothers’ “It Only Hurts for a Little While” and hints of the dark humor that’s sure to come.  It also comes with the tagline: “This April, Lorne Malvo has a few things to clear up.”

Executive produced by Joel and Ethan Coen, the 10-episode show is a reimagining of the classic Coen brothers film and also stars Martin Freeman, Colin Hanks, Oliver Platt, Kate Walsh, Glenn Howerton, Joey King, Tom Musgrave, Peter Breitmayer, Josh Close, Russell Harvard, Adam Goldberg, and Allison Tolman.  Hit the jump to watch.

Some casting news to report:

• Brie Larson is in negotiations to star in The Good Luck of Right Now, directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris (Little Miss Sunshine).
• Billy Bob Thornton is in talks to join the cast of the Entourage movie, written and directed by series creator Doug Ellin.  Adrian Grenier, Kevin Connolly, Jerry Ferrara, Kevin Dillon, and Jeremy Piven are set to reprise their roles.
• Felicity Jones is eying the titular role in Rosaline, a revisionist comedy based on Romeo & Juliet directed by Alex Timbers.

Hit the jump for more on each project.

2014 is still quite new, but FX is getting a jump on things by debuting the first images from two highly anticipated new drama series that will be premiering this year.  The Strain is created and executive produced by Guillermo del Toro and revolves around a team of scientists who wage war against an ancient strain of virus that confers vampirism, along with those it infects.  Del Toro directed the pilot himself but Carlton Cuse (Lost) will be assuming showrunner duties, and these first images give us a look at Corey Stoll (House of Cards) in the lead role.  The 13-episode first season of The Strain debuts on FX this July.

Additionally, we have our first look at the limited series adaptation of Fargo.  Executive produced by Joel and Ethan Coen, the 10-episode show is a reimagining of the classic Coen brothers film and stars Billy Bob Thornton, Martin Freeman, and Allison Tolman.  The series premieres sometime this spring.  Hit the jump for the first images from both The Strain and Fargo. 

In the wake of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination in Dallas on November 22, 1963, the country went into a frenzy as news stations produced headline after headline—accurate and inaccurate—of what had occurred at Dealey Plaza that afternoon.  But what happened amidst the chaos of one of the most devastating events in US history and how did those involved in the event respond?  Parkland delves into the aftermath, giving viewers insight into the lives of those closest to the tragedy and following them in a span of four days.  From the nurses and doctors who tended to a wounded President Kennedy to the Secret Service agents responsible for protecting him, and the infamous Abraham Zapruder who captured everything on his 8mm camera, the film focuses on the stories within the news headlines.  More after the jump.

This November will be the 50th anniversary of the Kennedy assassination.  There will be TV specials, memorials, and think pieces.  Peter Landesman’s Parkland looks beyond the assassination and even President Kennedy to examine the surrounding figures on that infamous day and their roles in one of the most important events in American history.  It’s a paradoxical film that mythologizes the people who have been overlooked by the history books, but also demythologizes the actual events by showing the details that were overshadowed by the moment when the course of history changed.  The result is a movie that captivates in how it depicts little moments from average people, but also undermines the story’s power by forcing drama on an inherently dramatic situation.

As great of an actor as he is, Billy Bob Thornton is also a very talented writer/director, and in his latest release, Jayne Mansfield’s Car (out in theaters on September 13^th), he’s expertly doing all three, alongside a cast that includes Robert Duvall, John Hurt, Kevin Bacon, Robert Patrick, Ray Stevenson, Katherine LaNasa and Frances O’Connor.  While we will run the portion of our interview with what Thornton had to say about making that film closer to its release date, we did want to share what he had to say about two highly anticipated projects that he’s connected to.

During this recent exclusive interview with Collider, Billy Bob Thornton talked about how everyone involved still wants to make Bad Santa 2 happen, and that it’s the kind of movie you do a sequel for, but that they jumped the gun a bit in saying just how quickly it would go into production.  He also talked about what drew him to the FX mini-series Fargo, just how good the pilot script is, and not wanting to pass up working with Joel and Ethan Coen (who are executive producers on the project) again.  Check out what he had to asy after the jump. 

The first trailer for writer/director Peter Landesman’s upcoming drama Parkland has landed online.  Produced by Tom Hanks, the pic revolves around the chaotic events that occurred at Parkland Hospital in Dallas on the day that President John F. Kennedy was assassinated.  Parkland Hospital is where Kennedy, Lee Harvey Oswald, and Jack Ruby all died.   At first blush, Parkland could easily be passed off as a film that simply wants to capitalize on the 50th anniversary of JFK’s assassination, especially since it must exist in the same spectrum as Oliver Stone’s 1991 effort JFK, along with the raw imagery of Abraham Zapruder’s historic home movie.  However, this trailer suggests that the film has captured the chaos of the event itself and the ensuing finger-pointing, along with the period-specific aesthetic; let’s hope the decision to focus on Parkland Hospital turns out to be an inspired one.  There are a few hammy moments in this first look, but Paul Giamatti’s performance is certainly one worth watching.

Hit the jump to watch the trailer.  The film also stars Billy Bob Thornton, Zac Efron, Marcia Gay Harden, Jacki Weaver, James Badge Dale, Jackie Earle Haley, Ron Livingston, Colin Hanks, Tom Welling, Jeremy Strong, and David Harbour.  Parkland will debut at the Venice Film Festival and hits theaters later this year.

The first images and poster for writer/director Peter Landesman’s upcoming drama Parkland have landed online.  Produced by Tom Hanks, the pic revolves around the chaotic events that occurred at Parkland Hospital in Dallas on the day that President John F. Kennedy was assassinated.  Parkland Hospital is where Kennedy, Lee Harvey Oswald, and Jack Ruby all died.  The impressive ensemble cast includes Paul Giamatti, Zac Efron, Billy Bob Thornton, and Marcia Gay Harden, all of who can be seen in these debut images.  We’ll get our first look at the pic in action when the trailer debuts on Monday, August 19th, so be sure to check back then.

Hit the jump to take a look at the images and poster.  The film also stars Jacki Weaver, James Badge Dale, Jackie Earle Haley, Ron Livingston, Colin Hanks, Tom Welling, Jeremy Strong, and David Harbour.  Parkland will debut at the Venice Film Festival and hits theaters later this year.

We’ve got some new casting developments regarding FX original programming to attend to today.  First up, Billy Bob Thornton has been tapped to lead the network’s upcoming limited series adaptation of the feature film Fargo. Writers/directors Joel and Ethan Cohen are involved as executive producers, and FX has announced that Thornton will play Lorne Malvo, “the rootless, manipulative man who meets a small-town insurance salesman and sets him on a path of destruction.”  The 10-episode series will feature a new “true crime” story and new characters, but Thornton’s role is similar to the one Steve Buscemi played in the 1996 Coen brothers film.

Novelist/writer Noah Hawley wrote all 10 episodes of the series, and production is set to begin in Canada this fall in anticipation of a spring premiere on FX.  Hit the jump for a couple of additions to the horror anthology series American Horror Story: Coven. 

We’re happy to debut a batch of exclusive new images from the upcoming action-comedy The Baytown Outlaws today.  Written and directed by Barry Battles, the film follows three ruthless brothers who fall into helping a damsel in distress (Eva Longoria) by rescuing her godson (Thomas Brodie Sangster) from her nefarious ex-husband, Rob (Billy Bob Thornton).  It looks like a pretty wild pic, and these images highlight the cast of characters that also includes Quentin Tarantino staple Zoe Bell (Death Proof).  Here’s the trailer.

Hit the jump to check out the new images.  The film also stars Clayne Crawford, Michael Rapaport, Daniel Cudmore, Travis Fimmel, Serinda Swan, Andre Braugher and Paul Wesley.  The Baytown Outlaws is currently available VOD and hits theaters on January 11th.

News has been quiet Southern-fried action comedy The Baytown Outlaws ever since the title change from The Baytown Disco back in June, but a new trailer has dropped today to remind you that it still exists. Written and directed by Barry Battles, The Baytown Outlaws follows three ruthless brothers who fall into helping a damsel in distress (Eva Longoria) by rescuing her godson (Thomas Brodie Sangster) from her nefarious ex-husband, Rob (Billy Bob Thornton).  This is also the film that renowned producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura told us to keep an eye on during a recent set visit and compared Battles’ work to that of a young Quentin Tarantino.

The Baytown Outlaws also stars Clayne Crawford, Michael Rapaport, Daniel Cudmore, Travis Fimmel, Andre Braugher and Paul Wesley. Hit the jump to watch the new trailer.

Steve walked the floor at the American Film Market (AFM) early this morning and managed to bring back some detailed synopses for the following films:

• Jane Got a Gun – A Western starring Natalie Portman and Michael Fassbender
• Parkland – A drama about the JFK assassination starring Billy Bob Thornton, Paul Giamatti, and Jacki Weaver.
• The Green Inferno – The next directorial project from Eli Roth.
• A Walk Among the Tombstones – A crime thriller starring Liam Neeson.
• Agent: Century 21 – An action comedy starring Cameron Diaz and Benicio Del Toro.

Hit the jump to check out all the detailed synopses, which include production start dates.