On NBC’s groundbreaking new mystery drama Awake, Detective Michael Britten (Jason Isaacs) has experienced a devastating car accident and learns the devastating news that his wife (Laura Allen) died in the crash. And then, he wakes up to realize that his wife is very much alive and his teenage son (Dylan Minnette) died in the accident. Unsure as to which is real and which is a dream, he goes back to work solving crimes, alternating between realities and partners.

At a press day held on the show’s set during a break from filming, actor Steve Harris, who plays Detective Freeman, Britten’s partner in one world, and actor Wilmer Valderrama, who plays Detective Vega, Britten’s ambitious young partner in the other world, talked about keeping track of their characters in each world, what it’s like to play different versions of their characters, whether either of their characters are getting suspicious about Britten’s grasp on reality, and how the car accident is part of a bigger journey and plot within the series. Check out what they had to say after the jump:

My most-anticipated new show of the 2011-2012 television season is Awake.  Jason Isaacs stars as a cop who’s in a car accident with his family, and now he’s living in two realities: one where his son (Dylan Minnette) survived and one where his wife (Laura Allen) survived.  The question is which one is the dream and which one is reality?  It’s a terrific premise that could easily run out of steam in a short amount of time, but it’s more original than almost any other new show on network TV.  Hopefully, they find a way to build on the premise rather than use it as a hook and nothing more.

The first seven minutes have gone online, and after watching them, I’m still jazzed for this show.  I like the way it’s shot and the pacing, and (less surprising) Isaacs is great. If you’ve seen the extended trailer, there’s not a tone of new stuff, but now you can see it in context.  Hit the jump to check out the first seven minutes of Awake.  The series premieres on Thursday, March 1st at 10/9c on NBC.

For as long as I can remember, Tom Hanks has been the reigning champ of the romantic comedy genre.  Oh, sure, upstarts have come along every few years to try and overthrow the dude’s throne, but if you’ve ever seen Splash, Sleepless in Seattle, or Bachelor Party (What?  That’s not a rom-com?  Well, what about the donkey?), you know that Hanks is pretty much undefeatable in these kinda roles:  his everyman likability, his universal demographic appeal, his longstanding reputation as the nicest dude in Hollywood—it all adds up to a rom-com master.  This year’s Larry Crowne, recently released on DVD, will do nothing to tarnish that reputation…but it also won’t do anything to advance it.  Read on for the full review, after the jump.

In 1996, Tom Hanks made his writing-directing debut with the harmless but charming That Thing You Do.  After writing and directing episodes of the miniseries From the Earth to the Moon and Band of Brothers, Hanks has returned to feature films with Larry Crowne.  While his direction remains competent and innocuous, his screenplay, which he co-wrote with Nia Vardalos (My Big Fat Greek Wedding) relies far too heavily on meaningless quirks and undercooks both the title character’s development and his romance with his public speaking teacher, Mercedes Tainot (Julia Roberts).  Larry Crowne manages to deliver a steady stream of laughs, but like everything else in the movie, they feel unearned.

With Larry Crowne getting released this weekend, I recently attended a press conference with Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Wilmer Valderrama.  Directed by and starring Tom Hanks, the story centers on a laid-off middle-aged man (Hanks) who goes back to college and strikes up a relationship with one of his professors (Roberts).  Raw and Valderrama play two friends that Hanks meets while at school.  Larry Crowne is the first film Hanks has directed since 1996’s That Thing You Do, and he co-wrote the script with Nia Vardalos (My Big Fat Greek Wedding).  You can watch the trailer here.

During the press conference, Raw and Valderrama talked about working with Hanks and Roberts, filming the movie, the improv, working on Broadway, what would they do if they had to go back to school for a new career, and a lot more.  Hit the jump to either read or listen to the interview.

Universal has sent over 7 clips and a featurette from Larry Crowne.  Directed by and starring Tom Hanks, the story centers on a laid-off middle-aged man (Hanks) who goes back to college and strikes up a relationship with one of his professors (Julia Roberts).  Larry Crowne is the first film Hanks has directed since 1996’s That Thing You Do, and he co-wrote the script with Nia Vardalos (My Big Fat Greek Wedding).   While the story seems pretty simple, Hanks has proven himself behind the camera and people love the guy.  What I’m trying to say is…I’m pretty sure Larry Crowne is going to be a big hit for Universal.  Hanks and Roberts are joined in the film by Bryan Cranston, Cedric the Entertainer, Taraji P. Henson, Gugu Mbatha Raw, Wilmer Valderrama, Pam Grier, Rami Malek, George Takei, Grace Gummer, Rita Wilson, and Jon Seda.  Check out the clips after the jump.  Larry Crowne hits theaters July 1st.

Universal has released the first trailer for Larry Crowne.  Directed by and starring Tom Hanks, the story centers on a laid-off middle-aged man (Hanks) who goes back to college and strikes up a relationship with one of his professors (Julia Roberts).  Larry Crowne is the first film Hanks has directed since 1996’s That Thing You Do, and he co-wrote the script with Nia Vardalos (My Big Fat Greek Wedding).   While the story seems pretty simple, Hanks has proven himself behind the camera and people love the guy.    What I’m trying to say is…I’m pretty sure Larry Crowne is going to be a big hit for Universal.  Check out the trailer, synopsis and new images after the jump:

With Lionsgate’s romantic comedy From Prada to Nada opening January 28, the studio has sent over 9 clips from the film that stars Camilla Belle, Alexa Vega, Wilmer Valderrama, Kuno Becker and Adriana Barraza.  The one line synopsis (via IMDb) is:

“A Latina spin on Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility, where two spoiled sisters who have been left penniless after their father’s sudden death are forced to move in with their estranged aunt in East Los Angeles.”

While I debated posting the clips, I figured Camilla Belle and Alexa Vega fans might like to see them.  If interested, hit the jump.  I’ve also posted a more detailed synopsis:

Two new posters this Friday, both international in their own right.  The first, for The Green Hornet, is so in the more traditional sense: it comes from Taiwan.  The masked superhero film stars Seth Rogen, Jay Chou, Cameron Diaz, and Christoph Waltz; Michel Gondry (Be Kind Rewind) directing.

The second poster, for From Prada to Nada, reaches across the border with a Latina take on the Jane Austen classic Sense & Sensibility.  The adaptation stars April Bowlby, Camilla Belle, Alexa Vega, Wilmer Valderrama, and Nicholas D’Agosto.  Hit the jump for both posters.

Tom Hanks knows how to use the Twitter machine.  This past weekend, he posted a picture of his still incomplete casting wall for his new movie Larry Crowne.  When casting is finished, he will gaze at the wall and whisper, “You complete me,” and everyone else in the office will shift uncomfortably in their seats.

Among the new cast members are Oscar nominee Taraji P. Henson (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), two-time Emmy winner Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad), George Takei (Original Star Trek), Wilmer Valderrama (That 70s Show), and Cedric the Entertainer (Cadillac Records).  They’ll join stars Hanks and Julia Roberts in the story of “a man (Hanks) forced to reinvent himself and find a new career as he navigates the second act of his life.”  Crowne will be the first film Hanks has directed since 1996′s That Thing You Do.

Hit the jump to see the photo an incomplete list of the incomplete cast.

As we move closer to the 2010 Sundance Film Festival, we’re getting the first images of the films that will be playing there.  Since there are so many movies, we’ve decided to group them into a single article because the human brain can only handle so many new images before it starts to go mad.  The films we’ve included in this group Obselidia; Skateland starring the unbelievable hotness that is Ashley Greene; The Dry Land starring America Ferrera, Melissa Leo, and Wilmer Valderrama; The Imperialists Are Still Alive!; and Winter’s Bone starring Jennifer Lawrence and John Hawkes. We also have some more images for Nowhere Boy, the young John Lennon biopic starring Kristen Scott Thomas and Aaron Johnson.  Hit the jump for images and synopses for all these films.

The 2010 Sundance Film Festival will run from January 21-31^st.